by Angeline Oppenheimer

Created on: December 14, 2009   Last Updated: October 31, 2010

If you're thinking of protecting your eyes from sun damage, invest in a pair of UV certified sunglasses. Sunglasses are designed to cut out glare. They offer protection from the harmful effects of damaging UV rays from the sun. Just like you would apply sunscreen to protect your skin, UV-treated sunglasses act like a protective shield from the harsh effects of the sun. The sun generates two types of ultraviolet radiation: UV-B rays (short-wavelength radiation) and UV-A rays (longer wavelength), which have higher energy and are more damaging. Both UV-A and UV-B rays are potentially harmful to the eyes, according to American Optometric Association (

http://www.aoa.org/Documents/OcularUltraviolet.pdf). UV-B rays can cause damage to cornea and the lens of the eyes, whereas UV-A rays can penetrate much deeper and are often responsible for retina injury. Since 99 percent of the UV radiation is absorbed by the anterior structures of the eye, it is crucial to protect your eyes from sun damage.

Micheal Kutryb, M.D., ophthalmologist and clinical correspondent for the American Academy of Ophthalmology (http://www.aao.org/newsroom/release/20090601a.cfm), offers more compelling reasons, ”UV radiation, whether from natural sunlight or indoor artificial rays, can damage the eye’s surface tissue as well as the cornea and lens.” He goes on to reiterate that wearing sunglasses with UV protection can potentially reduce the risk of blinding eye diseases such as cataracts, macular degeneration and tumors. Prolonged sun exposure has other serious repercussions—the eyes can develop lesions and tumors that may be cosmetically unappealing and need surgical removal. Yellow tiny bumps, or pinguecula, may start to grow, first in the white part and they will eventually disrupt your vision. But that is not all—according to Stephen Oppenheimer, an optometrist for the past 30 years, who has fitted glasses for more than 250 TV shows and movies, pointed out another often overlooked setback, “Sun exposure can potentially cause night vision problems by interfering with rhodopsin cycles, which is responsible for good night vision.”

With so much at stake, it is imperative to wear UV sunglasses to protect your eyes and promote eye health in the long run. Just how do you go about picking the right pair of sunglasses that will offer UV protection and maybe, even make a fashion statement? The American Academy of Ophthalmology offers a few simple guidelines:

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>