Already Wear Sunglasses? Here's Why You Still Need UV Protection
Wearing sunglasses whenever you go outdoors can help to protect your eyes from an excess of UV radiation that can cause lasting damage to your vision. However, if you're passing up on adding extra ways to protect yourself from UV radiation to your arsenal, you're only getting partial protection. Read on to discover how UV can still hurt you when you can't wear your sunglasses.
Daylight
Most people think that when they go indoors, they're safe from UV radiation. After all, a little light coming in from a window doesn't feel as harsh or hot as direct exposure to sunlight while you're outdoors. Unfortunately, the warmth light produces isn't relevant to the amount of UV radiation it carries.
Daylight coming indoors can still expose you to dangerous UV radiation. Windows aren't enough to filter out UV, as UVA rays can easily penetrate through glass. Unfortunately, it's not practical for most people to wear sunglasses indoors, so your sunglasses can't protect you here.
Electric Light
Okay, so if the sun can still get you through windows, you might think your best option is to pull the curtains closed and to turn on some lights. Sadly, this too can actually expose you to UV radiation!
Certain varieties of lightbulbs actually produce measurable amounts of UV radiation. While these bulbs are supposed to filter out the harmful UV before it can reach you, a scratch or crack in the bulb's filter is all it takes for more to leak out. This is especially dangerous since you likely turn on lights near your eyes in order to see clearly.
What To Do
You don't have to hide in the dark in order to keep your eyes safe from UV radiation. Instead, just talk to your optometrist about adding UV filtering to your standard glasses.
When the lenses for your glasses are being made, there are optional coatings that the manufacturers can apply to filter out certain light wavelengths, like blue light or UV rays. By having this coating applied to your next pair of sunglasses, you will drastically reduce the amount of UV radiation that could be harmful to your eyes no matter where you are.
UV radiation is something to be concerned about, especially since it can damage your vision over time. If you're eager to do what you can to keep your eyes safe, talk to an optometrist about UV light protection. If you're looking for more information, you can find out here about eye care and protection.
