UV protection is an essential part of eye health. UV rays can damage your eyes and lead to vision loss, so wearing sunglasses that offer UV protection when you’re outside in the sun is essential.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology defines UV protection as “the ability of a lens or film to reduce transmission of ultraviolet light.” This means that wearing glasses or contact lenses with UV protection will block out harmful rays that could otherwise damage your eyesight.
Keep reading to learn more about why UV protection is a necessity.
What is UV Radiation?
UV radiation is a type of light that can cause damage to the eye. It’s divided into two categories: UV-A and UV-B.
- UV-A rays are the long-wave, nonburning rays that cause skin aging and wrinkles. They also penetrate clouds and glass, so you can still be exposed even if it’s not sunny outside.
- UV-B rays are shorter waves that burn your skin in direct sunlight or under a sunlamp (a tanning bed).
The Benefits of UV Protection for Eye Health
UV protection is not just for your skin. It can also help prevent age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), cataracts, and skin cancer.
- ARMD is the leading cause of vision loss among people over 50 in the United States. It’s a condition that damages the retina and causes you to lose central vision in your eyes. UV rays are thought to play a role in causing this disease because they damage cells in the retina called photoreceptors that help us see light and color.
- A cataract is a clouding of your lens–the part of your eye that helps focus light onto photoreceptors so you can see clearly. Cataracts can develop at any age but are more common as we age because they’re caused by aging changes within our bodies’ cells (a process called senescence). UV exposure may speed up this process by increasing oxidative stress on these cells, which leads them to break down faster than usual or get damaged by free radicals produced during exposure (free radicals are unstable molecules with unpaired electrons).
Conclusion
The biggest takeaway here is simple—please use UV protection for your eyes, and get your eyes checked yearly. You never know what damage you might be doing if you don’t protect your eyes against the sun’s damaging rays. Given the clarity that UV protection can bring to your vision, it’s worth implementing into your regimen.
Visit Us For The Best Eye Care in Houston, TX
Most individuals fail to realize they need professional eye care or corrective eyewear until their vision problems interrupt their daily lives. If you’ve been facing difficulties with your vision, small or big, we urge you to visit us for a checkup. Minor vision problems will often turn into severe ones if left untreated. They may also be signs of underlying health issues.
We are constantly working to bring our patients the latest technology to diagnose potential eye-related illnesses before they cause vision problems and provide the most comprehensive eye evaluations in Houston, TX.
Please schedule an appointment today to see, look, and feel better!