To protect your vision health you MUST block ultraviolet rays

Ray of Hope

Picking out a pair of sunglasses is an important decision.

First you have to decide if you want to look like a movie star, an FBI agent, a biker, an aviator, etc.

That’s the hard part.

The easy part is to make sure the glasses block ultraviolet rays–both UV-A and UV-B rays. And they need to block at least 99 percent of those rays. In other words: complete protection.

Anything less and you’ll be risking photokeratitis, which is more commonly known as snow blindness. But don’t think you’re safe just because you don’t spend weeks climbing Mt. Everest, because you can develop photokeratitis from extended exposure to any harsh reflection–water, concrete, beach sand, etc.

Put simply, photokeratitis is a sunburn of your cornea. And it can be very painful–it actually damages and kills superficial corneal cells. But as bad as that might sound, it’s not nearly as bad as the serious long-term damage you can do to your eyes from daily exposure to ultraviolet rays.

Behind the shades

Photokeratitis–that’s Excellent Reason Number One to wear sunglasses with proper UV protection.

Here’s Excellent Reason Number Two: cataracts. More than 22 million people in the U.S. have cataracts, and I know you don’t want to join their ranks. Risk of cataracts increases with a family history of the condition, diabetes, smoking, and long-term steroid use. But UV exposure ranks as one of the most serious risk factors.

Excellent Reason Number Three: Pterygium. When the cornea is damaged by sun exposure, scar tissue and blood vessels create an abnormal growth that can extend to the pupil and block vision. Severest pterygium cases require surgery.

Excellent Reason Number Four: Skin cancer. Sun exposure is the cause of basal cell carcinoma, one of the two most common cancers. The other is squamous cell. Both are treatable with minor surgery. But they’re unsightly and annoying, especially when they develop on eyelids.

Excellent Reason Number Five: Macular degeneration. As I’ve mentioned before, this is the most common cause of blindness in people 55 and over. If you live in a region that’s sunny year-round and don’t wear proper sunglasses, UV damage can reach the retina at the back of the eyeball. When damage occurs in the macula, at the center of the retina, deterioration begins at the center of the field of vision and slowly expands.

And here’s a bonus reason to wear sunglasses daily: The price is right.

A Florida ophthalmologist told HealthDay News: “I’ve seen very expensive sunglasses that are not good ultraviolet absorbers, and I’ve seen cheap sunglasses that were great ultraviolet absorbers.”

In addition to shopping for lenses that are reliable UV- absorbers, a wraparound frame does a much better job of filtering out UV than glasses with smaller frames and lenses.

And once you’ve selected the perfect pair of shades, a hat completes your protection, helping to keep UV rays from reaching your eyes from above.

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson

Sources:
“Prevent Eye Damage–Protect Yourself from UV Radiation” Environmental Protection Agency, epa.gov
“Sunglasses Rival Lotions as Vital for Safety” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay News, 8/20/10, healthday.com