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Be Aware of
Eye Protection from Sun



Sun rays can damage many parts of our eyes. So eye protection from sun is vital to minimize harm as damages caused is cumulative over time and cannot be reversed.



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How Sun Rays Can Damage Eyes?

The sun produces many different types of light. The types that can harm the eyes are:

  • ultraviolet radiation which is invisible

  • blue light

  • very intense or bright light

Different parts of the eye absorb different kinds of rays of the sun. The front part of the eyes may be damaged when over exposed to ultraviolet radiation (UV radiation). If visible light is too intense or bright then the retina can be damaged.



What Eye Problems Can UV Radiation Cause?

Over a long period of time, exposure to UV radiation can cause problems such as:

  • macular degeneration - damage to macular that affects vision loss for older people

  • cataract - gradual clouding of the eye lens

  • pterygium - growth on the white of the eye

  • skin cancer - cancer around the eyelids

  • photokeratitis - corneal sunburn due to long hours of exposure at the beach or skiing-

Sensitivity to UV radiation varies from one person to another. That is why do not gamble make eye protection from sun a habit.



Who is at Risk from UV rays?

Everyone including children is at risk from eye damage due to exposure to UV radiation. If you work or play in the sun for long periods of time then you are at highest risk and eye protection from sun becomes more important.

The hazards of sun related eye problems is greater for people with the following risk factors:

  • spend long hours in the sun without eye protection

  • have cataract surgery before - unless the artificial lens used absorbed UV rays

  • on certain medication such as tetracycline, sulfa drugs, birth control pills, diuretics and tranquilizers. Consult your doctor as these drugs may increase the sensitivity of the eyes to light.



What is the Best Eye Protection from Sun Rays?

Proper eye protection using hats can block UV rays. Take note that UV rays comes from different directions. They radiate directly from the sun, reflect from the ground, water , snow or sand surface and other bright surfaces.

Use suitable eyewear such as sunglasses and wear a wide-brimmed hat. A wide-brimmed hat can block about half of the UV rays as it can limit rays that hit the eyes from above and also around sunglasses. A combination is the ideal method for eye protection from sun.



How to Select Sunglasses?

You have to understand that sunglasses help in two vital ways:

  • decrease visible light (bright and blue light) and reduces glare to a comfortable level

  • protect your eyes from the invisible and harmful UV rays

Ensure that the lens are dark enough to keep your eyes comfortable but not too dark such that they reduce your vision. Be aware that if you spend a lot of time at the beach or skiing, you should wear sunglasses with a darker tint to block more light as UV rays bounce off snow or water surface.

Fisherman and farmers or anyone who spend many hours in the sun should take more precaution.

Take note that sunglasses manufacturer do not always attach a tag or label to state the amount of UV radiation that sunglasses block.

Colour is a personal choice and does not affect how well the lenses protect your eyes from UV radiation. Grey and brown distort colours the least.

For best eye protection from sun choose wrap around sunglasses to reduce the amount of UV rays entering from the sides.



What are the Types of Lenses Used for Sunglasses?

Lens material

  • glass - glass lenses are the most optically stable and scratch resistant

  • plastic - plastic lenses are the lightest weight material and some are coated to increase scratch resistance

  • polycarbonate - this plastic lens is the most impact resistant

  • laminated - combination of glass and plastic to achieve a specific performance

Lens performance

  • photochromic lenses - this lens appear lighter indoor and darken in the sunlight to soothe the eye according to the brightness of the environment

  • polarizing lenses - light reflected from surface like flat road or water is generally horizontally polarized and is blocked by the vertically oriented polarizers in the lens to improve visibility

  • contrast enhancing lenses - provides better visibility through contrast enhancement under certain conditions

  • infra red attenuating lenses - reduces the sunlight heat rays from passing through to the eyes for comfort

Lens treatment

  • solid tinted - they are evenly tinted across the entire lens to reduce glare. Tints vary from light, medium, dark and to very dark.

  • gradient tinted - darker tint at the top and lighter at the bottom to cut overhead glare and provide clearer vision straight ahead and when looking down

  • double gradient tinted - darker at the top and bottom to cut overhead and reflected glare from the ground. Lighter in the center to provide clearer vision straight ahead.

  • flash or mirror coated - reflect a wide spectrum of light



Standards for Sunglasses

In 1971 Australia became the first country to introduce a national standard for sunglasses. In 2003 a revised standard AS/NZ 1067:2003 - "Sunglasses and Fashion Spectacles" was introduced which defines five categories of lenses:

  • Fashion spectacles that are not sunglasses and provide very low reduction in sunglare with some UV protection.

  • Fashion spectacles that are not sunglasses and provide a limited reduction in sunglare with some UV protection.

  • Sunglasses that provide a medium level of protection against sunglare and good UV protection.

  • Sunglasses that provide a high level of protection against sunglare and good UV protection.

  • Sunglasses for special purposes that provide a very high level of protection against sunglare with good UV protection.

All sunglasses sold in Australia must be labelled to indicate which AS/NZS 1067:2003 category they comply with.



Do Children Need Sunglass for Eye Protection from Sun?

Children are at higher risk from harmful effects of UV rays because their eyes do not have the same ability as adults to protect from UV radiation and also they spend more time playing outdoors.

UV radiation damage is cumulative over a lifetime, so you should begin protecting your child's eyes now.

Most parents would not allow their children to go outside without shoes, true! Yet many allow them to expose the eyes to the harmful sun rays.

So get a good pair of sunglasses to ensure eye protection from sun for your child immediately and make sure the lens is impact resistant like polycarbonate.



Take a QUIZ! Do you still need UV protective sunglasses if your lenses is already real dark? YES or NO?

The answer is YES! Most believe that the darkness of the lens is what protects the eyes.The degree of darkness has no effect on UV rays protection. For best eye protection from sun you need sunglasses that indicates they block UV radiation.



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