There’s good reason to invest in a quality pair of sunglasses. Prolonged ultraviolet (UV) ray exposure causes roughly 20% of cataracts, and it may lead to macular degeneration, a type of retinal damage and the No. 1 cause of blindness in the United States, according to the National Eye Institute.
Sunglasses also protect the sensitive skin around your eyes from UV rays that cause skin cancer.
How to Find the Right Pair
Here are a few tips for finding the best protection for your eyes:
Read the label. Sunglasses with labels that read “UV absorption up to 400nm” or “Meets ANSI UV Requirements” block at least 99% of UV rays. This label is the only guarantee that your sunglasses offer UV protection.
Don’t rely on color or polarization. A common misconception is that dark or polarized sunglasses offer UV protection. However, according to the American Cancer Society, lens color or darkness is not a good indicator of UV protection. Polarized lenses are treated to reduce glare, but this has no bearing on UV protection.
Go big (or wide). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wraparound sunglasses because they do a better job of protecting the skin around your eyes.
In addition to donning sunglasses, make sure to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 30 on any exposed skin.
