Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Sunglasses: The One Thing You Need to Know

Now that summer is here, it seems like everyone wants to be outside. If you plan to spend any length of time outdoors, it is important to wear sunglasses that maximally protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful rays.

The sun constantly bombards us with invisible UV rays, rain or shine. Studies have shown that that overexposure to UV radiation contributes to the formation of cataracts, macular degeneration and skin cancer.

The best way to protect your eyes from UV radiation is to wear glasses with filters that screen out 99% of it. Prescription glasses are required to have high quality UV filters. Many sunglasses have them too.

Sunglasses with filters that screen out 99% of incident UV radiation are entitled to display stickers that say: “UV absorption up to 400 nm” or “Meets ANSI standards.” Sunglasses with “cosmetic” stickers filter out only 70% of the sun’s UV rays. Sunglasses with no sticker may not block UV radiation at all.

Unfortunately, many sunglasses displayed in kiosks carry no stickers. Before you decide to buy a pair without a sticker, I suggest that you take a moment to visit the manufacturer’s website. Chances are, information regarding UV filters will be described there.

As a test, I inspected the websites of ten popular sunglasses brands. These included: Bolle, Dolce and Gabbana, Fendi, Gucci, Guess, Maui Jim, Oakley, Prada, Ray Ban and Tom Ford. By doing so, I was able to confirm that every one of these manufacturers makes sunglasses that include a UV filter that screens out 99% of incident UV rays.

It’s easy to be distracted by the many different styles of sunglasses. There is only one feature, however, that makes a difference to the health of your eyes, and that is the UV filter.

Last week, I examined a 75-year-old man who had been a sailor before he retired. After examining him, I realized that he must have diligently protected his eyes from the sun since he had no macular degeneration, normal eyelid skin and only mild cataracts that were consistent with his age.

At the end of the exam, he told me his secret. “Doc, I’ve spent more time with skin doctors taking skin cancers off my body than I care to remember. I couldn’t wear sunscreen on the boat because it made my hands slippery. But, I always tried to wear a good pair of sunglasses.”

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