Philip Walsh - The Best Way To Protect Your Eyes From The Sun

If you are outside for long periods of time it’s important to make sure your eyes and the delicate skin around the eyes are protected against the sun’s harsh UV light.

High amounts of exposure to the sun’s UV rays has been linked to many eye health conditions such as cataracts, macular degeneration and skin cancer around the eye.

Every time you squint your eyes from the sun, the corners of your eyes crease which can cause wrinkles. As you get older, the elasticity and collagen in our skin breaks down. After continued sun exposure to the eyes it is harder for your skin to bounce back and wrinkles can form.

The best way to protect your eyes is by wearing polarised sunglasses. For even more protection, try wearing wraparound sunglasses to ensure all of the area around your eyes is covered. Having large framed glasses that fit right around the side of your face will ensure that your eyes are being protected from any sunrays, at any angle. Wide brimmed hats are another good form of protection.

It’s important to remember that UV rays reflect from many different surfaces such as the ground, water, snow or anything bright. Therefore don’t just assume because you’re not in the sun’s direct sunlight that you aren’t being affected.

Also, children are at much higher risk of sun damage as their eyes are not yet fully developed, so it’s important to make sure your kids are getting as much protection as possible when playing outside.

For more information on protecting your eyes from the sun and polarised lenses, talk to your local Specsavers optometrist or visit www.specsavers.co.nz.