What You Need to Look for in Sunglasses for Eye Protection

There’s no lack of sun in Arizona. Unfortunately, if you don’t protect your eyes from the sun’s UV rays, you can end up damaging them and putting your vision at risk. The advice below, from our eye doctors in Mesa and Chandler, can help you recognize symptoms of eye sun damage and help you choose the right sunglasses to protect your vision. Additionally, you can get fashionable prescription eyeglasses at the Swagel Wootton Eye Institute’s optical center.

What Eye Conditions Result from UV Sunlight?

There are many conditions brought on or worsened by overexposure to sunlight. Corneal sunburns affect the clear outer covering of your eye. Just like skin, you can get a sunburn on your cornea. To avoid this painful inflammation and possible vision damage, it’s important to wear sunglasses that blocks the sun’s UV rays.

Unfiltered UV exposure can increase the development of cataracts. Cataracts cloud your eye lens, slowly affecting your vision. They typically develop with age and require surgery to remove the damaged natural lens and replace it with an artificial lens. While we specialize in cataract and LASIK surgery in Mesa and Chandler, we would love to see you protect your eyes with the right sunglasses to reduce your risk of cataracts.

Pinguecula and pterygia describe growths that sometimes occur on the white of your eye due to overexposure to the sun. A pterygium can affect the cornea, impacting your vision, and both conditions can cause eye irritation. To avoid surgical removal of pterygiums or pingueculas, protect your eyes against the sun’s harmful rays.

Macular degeneration describes damage to the retinal center, or macula, of your eye. You need a healthy macula to form clear vision. While age is typically attributed as the number one cause for macular degeneration, overexposure to sunlight can exacerbate the condition. So, wear sunglasses and contact us immediately if you require age-related macular degeneration treatment.

Protect Your Eyes With the Right Sunglasses

Our eye doctors in Mesa and Chandler recommend choosing sunglasses that block UVA/UVB light. Choose a reputable dealer or come to Swagel Wootton Optical to ensure that you get the best protection for your eyes at an affordable cost. To fully protect your eyes, choose a pair of glasses with the highest possible UV protection.

Additionally, the color of the lens matters for those with diabetic retinopathy or macular degeneration. Brown or amber lenses can improve visibility when you wear prescription sunglasses with UV protection.

Overall, a high UV rating trumps any other claims made by manufacturers.

Best Sunglasses for Driving

As you get older, bright light becomes less comfortable when shining directly in your eyes. Therefore, we recommend polarized lenses for driving. Polarized lenses reduce glare, especially if you’ve had LASIK or other refractive eye surgery.

Yellow, gray, brown, or green lenses protect your eyes while driving without greatly distorting color perception.

Sunglasses to Protect Kids’ Eyes

Even young children can benefit from wearing sunglasses. Damage from UVA and UVB radiation accumulates over your lifetime. Therefore, getting your kids to wear sunglasses helps them form a vision-healthy habit.

Overexposure to the sun’s harmful UV rays can cause numerous eye conditions and exacerbate others. The right sunglasses protect your vision from worsening macular degeneration, odd growths, corneal sunburn, and other conditions.

Stay cool this summer with the right pair of shades and make an appointment with our eye doctors in Mesa and Chandler if you have recently experienced overexposure to the sun.