Be Wise About Your Eyes

Be Wise About Your Eyes

Sunglasses are a great fashion accessory, but their most important job is to protect your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. Some of the sun’s damage to the eyes include:

• Cataracts, a clouding of the eye’s lens that can blur vision. An estimated 20% of cases are caused by extended UV exposure.
• Macular degeneration, resulting from damage to the retina that destroys central vision.
• Pterygium, a tissue growth over the white part of the surface of the eye that can cause astigmatism.

When purchasing sunglasses, look for ones that block out 99 to 100% of both UVA and UVB radiation, so you can keep your vision sharp and eyes healthy.

—From the National Eye Institute