Posted
on June 27, 2016
Sunglasses
can be fun!
They are often very cool.
They
can make our eyes more comfortable in glary places like beaches and
sunlit snow fields. And they can make us safer when drivers can see
the road, signs, pedestrians, and other cars better on sunny days –
especially when the sun is low in sky.
But...sunglasses
are good for your eyes?
The
Vision Council is taking advantage of National Sunglasses Day to
point out that sunglasses help protect our eyes from harmful UV
light. Ultraviolet rays have been linked to such things as cataracts,
macular degeneration, and other eye problems. Even the highest energy
visible light may cause macular degeneration; this is called HEV (for
High-Energy Visible) or blue light.
By
the way, the very best way to protect your eyes (or to protect your identity, if you are famous and want to go unnoticed) is to wear a hat AND
sunglasses. Also, wrap-around sunglasses protect more than the more
typical open-sided styles.
 |
| Actress Meg Ryan avoids recognition with shades and hat... |
Not
all sunglasses are equal...
Of
course you want a style you like and a fit that is comfortable, but
you really should pay the most attention to the UV protection offered
by sunglasses. Look for 100% UV protection labels (which sometimes
are labeled UV 400). Those lenses will protect from both kinds of
ultraviolet light.
Apparently
a consumer-protection test was run on sunglasses; all of the
expensive and moderate sunglasses labeled “100% UV protection”
really did offer the protection. Most of the bargain-basement
sunglasses with that label did, too – but at least one $5 pair did
not. If you have any doubts, an optometrist can easily and quickly
test your shades.
By
the way, here are some sunglasses factors that have nothing to do
with UV protection:
- being polarized – this can help you see better but does not guarantee UV protection
- being anti-glare – ditto the above
- being a particular color or darker tint – there is no proof that particular colors of sunglasses (not even the amber “Blue Blocker” lenses), nor that darker-tinted sunglasses, do a better job of protecting your eyes than other colors or tints.
Kids'
eyes need protection from UV radiation just as much as adults' eyes
do!!
Modern
or...?
Of
course sunglasses with UV protection are pretty modern, but there
were some early forms of eye protection invented over the course of
history. Inuit people had to cope with a lot of sun-on-snow glare,
and they often wore “glasses” made out of walrus ivory; they
would view the world through narrow slits. The Roman emperor Nero
watched gladiator fights through emeralds; I'm pretty sure he wasn't
thinking of protecting his eyes from radiation! Another sort of early
sunglasses was invented in 12th Century China; these were
flat panes of smoky quartz.
 |
| Inuit snow goggles |
It
wasn't until the 1900s that sunglasses were used by loads of people.
They were first mass produced in 1929, and polarized lenses became
available in 1936. Ray Ban invented anti-glare sunglasses for
aviators during World War II, and his aviator-style shades also
caught on with the general public.
Also
on this date:
Plan
ahead:
Check out my Pinterest boards for:
And
here are my Pinterest boards for:
I have the black and tortoise pair (shown above) and I love them. Sunglasses for Men
ReplyDelete