Importance of Sunglasses for Healthy Eyes

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more details.
by Renae Chiovaro on June 2, 2015

protect eyes

When it comes to UV rays, most of us think of skin damage. We are faithful with putting on sunscreen to protect our skin from harmful UV exposure. However, most of us don’t think about the damage that UV exposure does to the eyes. Did you know that eyes can get sunburned too? Yes, UV exposure can lead to sunburn of the eye.

I recently attended a webinar by The Vision Council and was shocked to learn how important sunglasses are. Not only are sunglasses important for adults, they are important for children too. In fact, children receive THREE times the annual adult dose of UV radiation. This is because children’s eyes are still developing leaving them more susceptible to the UV radiation.

Not all sunglasses are created equal. When shopping for sunglasses for you and your children, make sure that there is a sticker on the lens that states the lenses provide UV protection. Just because the lens of the sunglasses are dark, doesn’t mean they provide UV protection.

One thing I was not aware of is that a pterygium can be UV exposure related. I had a pterygium removed from my eye when I was 21. Interesting to know that this could have been related to me never wearing sunglasses when I was a kid. I spent most of the summer outdoors!

Long Term UV-Related Eye Damage:

  • Premature aging of the skin; wrinkles and sunspots
  • Pterygium (abnormal growths on the eye and eyelid)
  • Cataracts
  • Macular degeneration
  • Cancer of the eye, eyelid and surrounding skin

Also keep in mind that UV radiation is higher during certain parts of the day. This has to do with the sun angle. Research shows that UV radiation is almost double to the eye during the peak hours of 8am-10am and 2pm-4pm. Since the sun is high in the sky during midday hours, there is less UV exposure to the eye.

When you are out with your children this summer, remember to put on sunglasses! The earlier you start your child with sunglasses, the easier it will be for them to keep them on. Plus set a good example by wearing glasses yourself!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of The Vision Council. All opinions expressed are mine.

The following two tabs change content below.

Renae Chiovaro

Renae is a married working mom of two handsome boys. She works as a registered dental hygienist by day and blogs here at How to Have it All by night. She enjoys cooking from scratch, working in her vegetable garden and functional training.

Latest posts by Renae Chiovaro (see all)