Four ways sunglasses may just save your life

When the sun’s shining, and temperatures are up it means it’s time to haul out pretty dresses and rock your latest must-have shades.

When buying a pair of sunglasses, important factors are often overlooked in the name of fashion and looking cool. However, eye health is an important consideration when choosing shades.

Not only can the correct pair of sunglasses protect and maintain eye health, but they can also help combat a myriad of unwanted premature ageing concerns, caused by inadequate sun protection, like wrinkles and uneven skin tone around the eyes (sadly, we can’t apply sunscreen on our eye are ladies).

Check out these four ways sunglasses can save your eyesight, and possibly your life, during the upcoming summer months:

Sunglasses can help prevent skin cancer. Did you know that 5% to 10% of all skin cancer occurs around the eyes? Selecting a high quality polarised pair of shades, and looking out for the Skin Cancer Foundation seal, will set you well on you way to maximum protection for your eyes.
They keep your eyes younger for longer. Sun exposure can contribute to wrinkles and fine lines forming around eyes. The sun is a source of blue light (also known as HEV light) which helps the human body regulate sleep-wake cycles, elevates moods, and boosts alertness. Prolonged exposure to this light is known to be associated with age-related macular degeneration.
They help you see (and drive) better in the dark. Normally eyes take 30 minutes to fully adapt to the dark. Being in bright sunlight without good protection for around two hours delays this process, lengthening the time it takes for your eyes to adjust to the dark. This can contribute to poor vision when driving at night. Wearing polarised lenses with UVA and UVB protection during the day will help keep that period short thus improving vision when driving at night.
They can reduce the risk of accidents. Glares and bright lights interfere with our ability to see and react to possible hazards on the road – especially when rain is involved as water reflects up to 100% of UV light. Choosing sunglasses that block out 99% to 100% of both UVA and UVB radiation will greatly help you.

The importance of getting proper UV protection often gets fobbed off in the name of fashion, although doing this can result in a number of unwanted ailments.