AthleticOptics Tip: Why Wear Sunglasses

Seeing is a highly active function. Your eyes continually move and adjust, receiving a constant flow of visual information. Normally, all this activity happens routinely and without noticeable strain. Outdoors, however, you are affected by glare and the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. Glare is nearly always present. It reflects off water, snow, concrete highways, glass buildings or automobiles. Glare is bothersome and discomforting causing your eyes to work harder, contracting your pupil, narrowing your eyelids and causing muscle fatigue.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the invisible part of the light made up of UVA, UVB and UVC rays. Studies have shown that prolonged exposure to UV can cause various eye problems such as cataracts, sunburn to the eyelids, pterygium, skin cancer around the eyes and macular degeneration, one of the leading causes of vision loss among older Americans.

This is why top quality sunglasses are such an important part of our outdoor life. They help us see comfortably and clearly in sunlight, they counteract the discomfort caused by glare, and reduce the threat of permanent damage that could lead to cataracts and other eye diseases. Good sunglasses will reduce glare, filter out 99% to 100% of ultraviolet (UV) rays, provide visual protection, be comfortable and not distort colors. Lesser quality sunglasses are usually more of hindrance than a help. They often claim to protect from UV when they really do not. “Cheap” sunglass lenses may not provide proper protection from glare and are often marked with wavy, irregular surfaces that distort and disturb vision, causing added eye strain and fatigue. Good, top quality sunglasses provide cool comfort and complete protection even during lengthy exposure to harsh glare.

Wearing sunglasses during the day can also help your night driving. Exposure to strong sunlight without adequate glare protection can sharply reduce your night vision. Even a few hours of exposure can slow your eye’s adaptation process as darkness falls. Repeated exposure can delay this adaptation even longer and your night vision could be cut by 50% or more. Never wear sunglasses when driving at dusk or after sundown. Sunglass lenses will reduce light to dangerously low levels.

FDA AND THE DROP BALL TEST
This is a regulation issued by the Food and Drug administration. It is designed to protect the eyeglass wearer from potential eye injury. The FDA states that eye injuries resulting from the shattering of lenses constitutes an avoidable hazard to the eye of the wearer.

The FDA requires that eyeglasses and sunglasses be fitted with impact resistant lenses. To test this, the “Drop Ball Test” is used. It is a series of tests using a small metal ball dropped onto lenses from a specified height. If the lens shatters, it has failed the test. All AthleticOptics.com lenses have passed this test.