Everyone craves sunshine. After all, it’s from the sun where most people get their daily allotment of Vitamin D. But perhaps even more than that, a sunny day just does so much more for our outlook on life. Sunshine makes us happy, so the more of it we can get, the better.
But just like everything in life, too much of a good thing can be bad for you. In the case of sunshine, too much direct exposure to the sun’s rays can be bad for your eyes.
How the Sun’s Rays Can Hurt Your Eyes
While you’re lavishing in the warm sunshine, your body is being exposed to two types of UV rays – UV-A and UV-B. Too much exposure to these two types of UV rays can be detrimental to your ocular health, and here’s why:
- Prolonged exposure to UV-A rays causes damage to your central vision. Over time, it can damage the macula, which is the part of the retina at the back of your eye.
- Prolonged exposure to UV-B rays, on the other hand, has been shown to affect the front parts of the eye, namely the cornea and the lens. These parts of the eye absorb UV-B rays, and over time this can cause even more damage to your eyes than UV-A rays, including vision loss.
Who is Most At-Risk for Sun-Related Eye Damage?
Everyone is at risk for eye damage from UV radiation, including children. But there are certain people who can be at higher risk. Naturally, these are people who work or play in the sun for long periods of time. But they’re not the only ones. The risk of sun-related eye problems is also higher for people who:
- have had cataract surgery
- have certain retina disorders
- are on certain medicines that increase the eye’s sensitivity to light, such as tetracycline, sulfa drugs, birth control pills, diuretics, and tranquilizers
How to Protect Your Eyes From UV Rays
Thankfully, there are some things you can do to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays. The first step is to understand the dangers of sun exposure, which we have discussed here. Next, you should wear proper eye protection and hats that are designed to block UV rays whenever you’re outside.
When it comes to sunglasses, not all are equal. Some are designed with UV protection in mind. These types of sunglasses feature lenses that absorb UV rays, so they don’t reach your eyes. In fact, whatever eyewear you use daily should ideally be able to absorb UV-A and UV-B rays. This includes sunglasses, prescription glasses, contact lenses, and lens implants.
Since UV rays can come from many directions, such as not only from the sun, but also reflected from the ground, from water, snow, sand, and other bright surfaces, wearing UV sunglasses along with a brimmed hat will provide you with the best protection when outdoors. Eyewear with UV protection does not cost a lot of money and they don’t get in the way of seeing clearly, so there really is no excuse for not taking this extra, especially when it means protecting your eyes.
Keep Your UV Protection Close – Use a Sunglasses Retainer
Your sunglasses can only protect your eyes from the harmful effects of UV rays if you wear them. This means you’ll want to make sure you always have them with you whenever you’re outdoors. One way to help ensure that you don’t lose your UV protective eyewear is to keep them in place with a Cablz sunglasses retainer.
Cablz sunglasses retainers are comfortable to wear, and they keep your sunglasses safe and secure at all times. They also make it easy to transition inside from the outdoors. When heading indoors, just take your sunglasses off and your retainer will allow them to hang around your neck. No more setting them down where they can be forgotten. No more sticking them in a bag where they can get scratched. No more shoving them in a pocket where they can get broken.
Your Cablz retainer will keep your sunglasses right where you want them to be, so when you’re ready to venture back out into the sunshine, all you have to do is slip them on. With so many different types and styles of eyewear retainers available to choose from, including adjustable and non-adjustable models, Cablz has a retainer for everyone!
