Don’t Forget Your Sunglasses!

Did you know that May is Ultraviolet (UV) Awareness Month? We all know it is important to protect our skin from the sun's harmful UV rays with sunscreen, but did you know that it is also important to protect your eyes? As the weather starts to heat up, here are some suggestions from Sussex Eye Center to help protect your eyes from the sun!

Exposure to UV light, even for just a short amount of time, can cause damage to the eye. Your eye can actually get a sunburn, resulting in pain, redness, and blurry vision. Staring at the sun can cause damage to the back of the eye that results in permanent vision loss. Long-term UV exposure can also cause the progression of cataracts and macular degeneration.

Not all sunglasses are created equal. When shopping for sunglasses, you want to find lenses that have 100% UVA and UVB protection. The color and darkness of the lens does not actually indicate the amount of UV protection, although darker lenses do provide more relief from light sensitivity. Yellow lenses filter out blue light and are great for golfing or field sports, Pink/purple lenses increase contrast against blue and green backgrounds, which makes them great for hunting and skiing.

Polarized sunglasses will provide the clearest vision without glare. When light hits a surface, such as the dashboard of your car or water, it reflects directly up into your eyes. Even with sunglasses, this can cause light sensitivity and discomfort. Polarized lenses only allow light that is entering horizontally (at the same level of your eyes) to transmit through the lenses. Light that is reflecting vertically (which causes glare) will be blocked.

Still not sure if you are picking the right sunglasses? Don't sweat - visit Sussex Eye Center at one of our four locations to meet with one of our lens experts. We carry Coach, Maui Jim, Costas, Oakley, and many more brands that will provide you with the clearest vision, protection, and style.