After the expense of a holiday, it’s tempting to cut costs with a cheap pair of shades. But according to dispensing optician Tony Russell, this could damage your eyes and children are most at risk – kids tend to have larger pupils and a clearer crystalline lens so more sunlight reaches the back of their eyes.
During winter the sun is lower in the sky, which means you experience more problems with glare. And if you’re skiing or snowboarding, snow will reflect around 80% of the sun’s rays, so more ultraviolet light is directed into your eyes. Unprotected exposure can potentially lead to cataracts, macular degeneration and even cancer of the skin around the eyes. But as tinted lenses cause the pupils in your eyes to dilate, allowing more light into the eyes, cheap sunglasses with no UV protection can do more damage than wearing nothing at all!
Tony offers the following tips to get the right protection:
Check for a label or any print on the sunglass lens or frames that specifically states:
100% UV protection
Lenses block UVA and UVB rays
Full UV400 protection
Avoid those that do not state any level of protection or that state vaguely, ‘UV absorbing Lenses’ or ‘Blocks most UV light’.
Polarised lenses have a laminated surface containing vertical stripes which only allow vertically-polarised light to enter the eyes. Glare is eliminated because horizontally-polarised light cannot bypass the filter. According to Tony, polarised lenses improve contrast and depth perception as well as reducing the amount of light reflected from snow and ice which skiers might find troublesome. However, they are not always recommended for snow activities such as skiing, because icy patches are not as apparent through these lenses.
A better choice may be NXT lenses, which use light translation technology to control glare, contrast, colour and definition. Made from lightweight, unbreakable lenses they are suitable for all conditions, winter or summer.
He suggests you look for wrap around styles that cover the sides of your eyes to prevent reflected light from entering. Choose close fitting frames to block light from above and below the lenses, and avoid small lenses - wide and large lenses are best to provide coverage over your eyes. Go for comfort rather than fashion, and consider whether you would benefit from a strap to keep the glasses in place.
Wearing sunglasses means that you're not only protecting your eyes from UV rays, but won't risk worsening your eyesight by looking directly at the sun or straining to see in bright light.
Tony Russell is a dispensing optician and director of www. selectspecs.com