Sight is, among our 5 senses , the one we use the most. This is why it is important to protect your eyesight in the summer with the intensity of the sun. Our eyes are fragile and need to be taken care of.
What are the risks of the sun for your eyes?
At the front of the eye is the cornea, it protects the eyes from the sun's UV rays . UV, ultraviolet, is a part of the sun's radiation . It is a light invisible to the naked eye but nevertheless always present.
In small doses, UV rays provide us with vitamin D and allow us to tan. In high doses, UV rays become dangerous . There are 5 UV indices, from low to extreme risk. From the 1st index, you must protect your eyes to avoid damaging the cornea. Once the cornea is damaged, the sensitive parts of the eyes can be affected. And our vision is in danger .
In fact, there are many diseases linked to overexposure of the eyes to ultraviolet rays such as:
- keratitis : this is an inflammation of the cornea which is revealed by a burning sensation.
- ophthalmia : this is a real “ sunburn ” of the cornea.
- cataracts : if the lens (sensitive part of the eye behind the cornea) is too exposed to the sun it will age prematurely, lose its transparency and become opaque . Those over 65 are more affected due to old age and the sensitivity of their eyes.
- AMD : Age-related Macular Degeneration is a condition that generally appears after the age of 50 and after the retina has been overexposed to UV rays . It currently affects more than a million French people.
How to protect yourself?
The main recommendation is of course to wear sunglasses on sunny days.
To choose them well you must consider a few criteria :
1. The UV filter
Please note that not all sunglasses are equipped with solar lenses that filter 100% of UV rays!
To recognize them, they must have a written mention “100% UV” . The mentions “UV400” or “E-SPF 50” indicate a superior filter performance. Some materials such as polycarbonate naturally filter 100% of UV rays. Without a UV filter on your sunglasses, your eyes are in danger.
2. The intensity of the shade
The darker a lens, the more it reduces the amount of light entering the eye. The intensity also protects you from glare . The color of the sun lenses does not affect UV protection.
On the other hand, you can choose polarized glasses with polarized lenses: they have a filter that removes reflections (sea, road, etc.) and limits reverberation and glare . You then have better vision precision .
3. The quality of the glasses
Even without correction, there are different optical qualities of sunglasses. It is recommended to buy your sunglasses from an eye care professional.
Varionet offers you a selection of branded, quality sunglasses:
- Vuarnet sunglasses : comfort and protection with the famous Vuarnet secure mineral lenses skylinx, polar brown... Vuarnet.
- Persol, Oakley sunglasses : Italian class, elegance, sporty look for these famous brands
In addition, Varionet uses quality lenses made of polycarbonate , which filter 100% of UV rays , so you can choose to equip your reading sunglasses with:
- cat.3 gray-green tint proximity lenses for all solar reading glasses
- gray photochromic lenses , variable tint depending on the amount of UV, the lens is clear indoors and darkens in the sun. It has an anti-reflective coating for greater comfort. This option is available on all reading glasses except pre-mounted ones.
Varionet also offers sunglasses and overglasses with good coverage and polarized lenses at low prices .
Find our solar reading glasses, our polarized glasses or our sunglasses on www.varionet.com