Proper shades can shield your eyes from the sun’s harmful radiation
When you think of the damage the sun can do, your first thought may be of the ultraviolet (UV) radiation that can burn your skin, increasing your risk of skin cancer. But the sun can harm your eyes as well.
“I think people are aware of skin damage from UV simply because sunburn hurts,”
says Joan E. Roberts, Ph.D., a professor of chemistry at Fordham
University in New York. But sun damage to the eyes can accumulate slowly
over time, without you noticing, until irreversible harm has been done,
Roberts says.
Just as sunscreen
shields your skin by blocking UV radiation, sunglasses can shield your
eyes from harmful rays. But not every pair is equally good at doing so.
Here, what you need to know about how the sun can injure your sight, and
how sunglasses safeguard your eye health.
The Sun’s Radiation and Your Eyes
Exposure to sunlight can increase the risk of several vision-impairing conditions.
One of the most common is cataracts, which occur when the lens that
refracts light into your retina becomes clouded, interfering with proper
vision.
According to Adam Gordon, O.D., M.P.H., a clinical associate
professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s School of
Optometry, a number of studies over the last few decades have found a
link between exposure to UV radiation from sunlight and the risk of
cataracts. For instance, a 2014 study conducted in France found that people who lived in places with more sunlight were more likely to need surgery to remove a cataract.
Other research has found a link between sun exposure and macular
degeneration, which occurs when the macula, a part of the retina,
becomes damaged, causing distortions in what you see, blurriness, or
difficulty seeing fine details. It’s the leading cause of blindness in
older adults, according to Douglas Lazzaro, M.D., a professor in the
department of ophthalmology at NYU Langone Health.
Lazzaro also says the sun can damage the skin around the eye, where
few of us are diligent about applying sunscreen. That raises the risk of
skin cancer of the eyelid. In fact, as many as 20 percent of all cases
of basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of cancer, occur on the eyelids, according to a recent analysis.
The experts we consulted, as well as the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention and the World Health Organization, recommend using
sunglasses as a way to reduce your eyes’ exposure to harmful UV
radiation. But you have to buy the right kind, because not all
sunglasses will fully block the sun’s UV rays.
How to Pick Sunglasses for Eye Health
Look for the most protection.
When shopping for sunglasses, choose a pair with a label that says the
product blocks 100 percent of UVA and UVB rays, the two most concerning
types for eyes. (You can also look for the term “UV 400,” which means
the same thing, Lazzaro says.)
Go big. Even while wearing sunglasses, some of the sun’s rays
can still reach your eyes and the skin around them. Choosing larger
lenses can help maximize sunglasses’ ability to stop rays from reaching
your eyes and skin. Wraparound sunglasses, which conform to the curve of
your face, are even better. Add a hat, which can provide extra eye
protection.
Know that pricier isn’t always better. The most effective
sunglasses aren’t necessarily more expensive. “You can get very
inexpensive sunglasses that have 100 percent ultraviolet blocking
ability,” Gordon notes.
Don’t worry about lens color. In addition to UV-protection
claims, you’ll likely see various lens colors and levels of tinting,
along with some that are mirrored or polarized. None of these features
affect how much UV light the sunglasses will block, although polarized
lenses can help cut down on glare, which can be irritating, especially
if you’re around water.
Get shades for the kids, too. Although the consequences of sun
damage to the eyes might not be evident until later in life, it can
start to accumulate from a young age, so kids should wear sunglasses,
too. Opt for lenses with a label that says they’re made from
polycarbonate rather than glass, which is impact resistant and less
likely to shatter if they’re hit during a volleyball game or other activity.
Catherine Roberts
I've
spent years tackling subjects from urban health to medical marijuana to
behavioral science—both as a city reporter for my hometown public radio
station in Tulsa, Okla., and as a freelance writer. Now I cover health
and food at Consumer Reports. My hobbies include tinkering with computer
code and watching trashy TV. Follow me on Twitter: @catharob.
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See more at: Consumer Reports
