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EYEGLASSES - SUN & SPECIALTY
Sunglasses
Sunglasses are, of course, the ultimate fashion accessory. However, taking a closer look at sunglasses reveals some powerful health and safety benefits that go way beyond fashion.
Benefits of Wearing Sunglasses
Sunglasses provide much-needed protection and should not only be worn on the beach during summer but all year round...
  • Help protect your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
  • Protect your eyes from windy environments and dry climates.
  • Reduce glare while engaging in outdoor activities.
  • Promote healing and recovery.
  • Reduce squinting and eye strain
  • Reduce the frequency of headaches and migraines
  • Help to prevent eye conditions and diseases such as dry-eye syndrome, skin cancer, cataracts, glaucoma. etc., etc.
What Should You Look For In Sunglasses?
Never use price to determine the quality of sunglasses. Many of the higher priced brands cost more because of fashion, not function. Below is a quick reference guide to buying the right sunglasses...
  • Avoid sunglasses that says “absorbs UV.” Look for a label that says 99-100 percent UV absorption or UV 400.
  • Polarized lenses help cut glare allowing for crisper vision, but they do not add sun protection.
  • Darker lens colors don’t mean better sun protection. The UV protectant added to lenses is clear; even grey, green, yellow or rose lenses can offer adequate UV protection.
  • Sunglasses made from plastic leads to distorted vision when you look to the right or left. Never buy them.
  • Larger frames shield more UV rays than smaller ones.
What if I Wear Contact Lenses?
Most contact lenses available today do not protect your eyes from UV light. If you do not have contact lenses that absorb UV light, you need to protect your eyes with sunglasses.
Who is at Risk?
Everyone is at risk. No one is immune to sunlight-related eye disorders. Every person in every ethnic group is susceptible to ocular damage from UV radiation that can lead to impaired vision. However, fair-skinned, light-haired people are at greatest risk.
Are Children at Risk?
Children are not immune to the risk of ocular damage from UV radiation. More UV is transmitted to the retina of a child than to the retina of an adult. Children also typically spend more time outdoors in the sunlight than do adults. Solar radiation damage to the eye may be cumulative and may increase the risk of developing an ocular disorder later in life. It is prudent to protect the eyes of children against UV radiation by having them wear a wide-brimmed hat or cap and sunglasses. Sunglasses for children, as with all glasses, should have lenses made of poly-carbonate because of their superior impact resistance.
Sports Goggles
Sports are a major pastime worldwide, but while we go to great lengths to protect against broken bones and concussions, we often forget to protect our eyes from serious sports injuries like scratched corneas, fractured eye sockets and permanent vision loss. Approximately 40,000 people every year suffer eye injuries significant enough to report. There are various types of sports eyewear designed to not only protect your eyes and your vision, but to enhance your athletic performance.
Safety Glasses
Eye injuries in the workplace are very common. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports that every day about 2,000 U.S. workers sustain job-related eye injuries that require medical treatment. However, safety experts and eye doctors believe the right eye protection can lessen the severity or even prevent 90 percent of these eye injuries.