4 Reasons You’ll Never Leave Home Without Sunglasses Again
Though sunglasses are often seen as an accessory to a summer themed outfit- they are much more than that. There are reasons to why people started wearing these glasses with dark lenses. We can all agree that they provide comfort to those of us struggling with the brightness of the sun’s rays, however there are medical reasons to why we should always have our shades on when we expose our eyes to natural light. That’s why we decided to consult a modern, progressive eye care clinic in Vancouver about what we risk when we leave our sunglasses at home instead of wearing them when we are out and about.
1. Lead to Cataracts
Sunlight contains harmful UVA and UVB rays, something that we might have heard of when picking out sun screen. What we don’t remember is that your eyes, just like your skin, can be extensively damaged when overexposed to these natural rays. UV rays can actually cause premature cataracts to form, rendering your vision drastically affected. Choosing sunglasses that protect your eyes from both UVA and UVB rays can keep cataracts at bay.
2. Takes Longer to Adjust to Light Changes
Have you realised how dark it is in a room after you come inside from a walk in the bright sun? It is darker, but your eyes should and will eventually adjust your “white balance” for you so that you can see everything clearly. If you were wearing shades while you were out, the adjustment period for you is much shorter. Though this might not seem like a big deal, when it affects your vision in the long term, you can find it difficult to drive or even see in low light environments.
3. Can Lead to Macular Degeneration
The blue light spectrum in natural day light can cause macular degeneration. This results in blurry, unclear central vision as the macula, located in the center of the retina, is responsible for the quality of your straight ahead vision. Wearing sunglasses, as well as staying active, maintaining a healthy diet, and refraining from smoking, all help avoid or slow down this process of degeneration.
4. Makes you Squint
Squinting isn’t just unbecoming or uncomfortable, it comes with some direct side effects, a popular one being headaches. When you wear shades, your forehead can relax and potentially debilitating migraines can be avoided. Even if you are not prone to headaches or migraines, all of us are subject to collecting wrinkles, which can be undesirable, especially if we are battling their occurrence. The most obvious benefit to not having to squint is that you have a greater range of vision than when are eyes are screwed up to protect themselves from overexposure to the sun.
So next time you think that sunglasses don’t fit your “look” or are too much of a hassle, think again. Wearing sunglasses every day, even in the winter, is a habit that can maintain your quality of vision and protect your eyes from damage. Consult with your optometrist on the best kind of sunglasses for your personal lifestyle and health needs. If you have vision problems already, look into getting prescription sunglasses which will correct your vision while protecting your ocular health. In the end, the most important thing in sunglasses is that they inhibit both UVA and UVB light from reaching your eyes.
And you should look cool in them…