Monday 17th June 2024
A DO's desk
Sunglasses have become a fashion accessory, and we are very happy with the fact that it has. However, protecting your eyes from harmful radiations must always be taken seriously. A lot of websites and Apps give us information regarding UV levels.
Here, we like to claim that regardless of the amount or level of radiation out there in any given day, why not just wear a pair of glasses that protects your eyes from UV light?
Increased long-term exposure to UV can lead to eye conditions such as Cataracts, Macular pigmentation and Macular degeneration, Pterygium and Pinguecula which are growth on the Scleral (white part) of the eye.
DEFRA, which stands for Department of Environment, Food and Rural affairs measures and grades UV levels in the UK from 1 to 8. They recommend protection must be used from UV Level 3 and above. The UV radiations are measured in Wavelengths, and they range from 290 to 400nm.
Glasses, even without a UV filter in most cases block up to 360nm. However, an Ultraviolet filter will block up to 400nm. This is particularly important in the case of sunglass lens. When you buy a Sunglasses, please make sure you buy from a credible source so that the UV protection claim is genuine. If a sunglass lens is worn without UV filter, then this will cause more harm due to increase exposure. So, the first and most important thing is to make sure that your glasses have the required UV filters.
Enough of all technicalities associated with UV. However, with any sunglasses there are two things to remember: one is the quality of the lens and the coatings which you now would be familiar on how to check for and secondly, simply ensuring the fit of the frame is perfect. The frame should cover your eye well and should not slip. Select a frame that provides a well-rounded coverage and make sure it does not let any light through. Sounds basic, but it is far too common to see ill-fitting frames.
So, when you select your sunglasses or a similar sun protection lens, always make sure the glasses meet these two basic requirements.
