Sun’s out, shades on. It’s a helpful motto to live by, as we know the sun comes with a dark side too — UV radiation. In this blog, we’ll explore how UV exposure can affect your eyes and what you can do to protect yourself from UV damage to your eyes.
UVA vs UVB
There are 3 types of UV radiation but only 2 make it into your eyes — UVA and UVB.
UVB gets absorbed by your cornea, the surface of your eye. However, high doses of exposure over a short period of time can still do a lot of damage, such as causing corneal sunburn, also known as photokeratitis. This is an incredibly painful condition that causes extreme sensitivity to light, redness and swelling.
UVA penetrates deeper into your eyes, right through to your retina, and increases your risk of developing cataracts and sight-threatening diseases such as age-related macular degeneration later on in life.
UV exposure is greater when the sun is higher in the sky, primarily between about 10am to 2pm.
Protect yourself with sunglasses in Glasgow
Wearing sunglasses can reduce your chances of all of these conditions.Sunglasses that bear the CE mark – a European health and safety standard – filter out 99–100% of UVA and UVB radiation. UV damage is cumulative over your lifetime, so the sooner you start wearing UV protective sunglasses, the more likely it is that you will enjoy healthier eyes for years to come.
At Murray Opticians, we stock a range of sunglasses, from wraparound styles to aviators, all of which offer 100% UV protection. We also offer other features for sunglasses, such as polarised lenses to reduce glare from bright sunlight, or different colour tints to enhance your vision in various light and weather conditions.
Here to help
Want to find out more about our range of sunglasses in Glasgow? Need your sunglasses repaired or replaced urgently as you use them for driving or while you’re out for exercise? We are still only operating on an emergency basis but feel free call us on 07385 257992. As your local, friendly opticians in Glasgow, we’ll be happy to answer your questions and help wherever possible with fixing or replacing your sunglasses.