The importance of wearing sunglasses

As well as making your vision more comfortable in the sun, sunglasses protect your eyes from UV damage. Exposure to UV light can lead to various eye conditions so it is recommended that sunglasses with UV protection are worn even on cloudy days to minimise damage.

Common conditions that arise from UV damage include cataracts and AMD (age related macular degeneration). Whilst AMD mainly affect older people, it is believed that the condition may develop earlier in people who have been exposed to UV light more frequently.

Polarised lenses offer maximum protection against glare and UV light and are particularly useful for winter sports. UV exposure is also much higher where there are more reflective surfaces, for example near water, so wearing sunglasses can protect your eyes while at the beach, fishing, boating or on holiday.

Children’s eyes are also far more susceptible to UV damage than adults because the clear lens is highly transparent and their pupils are large. This allows 70% more UV rays to reach the back of the eye, causing permanent damage. Wearing sunglasses regularly when young can prevent UV related eye issues developing later in life. We offer a host of colourful, fun and quirky sunglasses for our younger customers and can also fit sunglass lenses in our optical frames too.