5 Tips from Opticians

How to properly protect your eyes from sunlight

The importance of proper sun protection is often underestimated.(Bild: Malena Brenek)

When it comes to sunglasses, there’s not only a lack of information, but also many myths. Opticians in Styria explain how to protect yourself properly—and what the medical consequences could be otherwise.

Summer is just around the corner, even though May is currently showing its particularly rainy side. What many people don’t know: Even on cloudy days, sunlight can cause irreversible damage to the eyes. While many Styrians consistently use sunscreen—the cornea can also get sunburned. This is due to ultraviolet radiation, which spans the wavelength range of 100 to 400 nanometers and is the most energy-rich part of optical radiation. Opticians in Styria are now explaining how best to protect yourself against it.

Choosing the Right Sunglasses
Sunglasses are the primary defense against UV radiation. However, shape, color, and material are crucial. “The wrong lens quality can lead to fatigue and headaches,” explains Kurt Otter, Guild Master of the Health Professions at the Styrian Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, the better the glasses fit—for example, with wide temples or curved lenses—the better the protective effect. And special care must be taken when choosing a color: certain lenses are not approved for road traffic at all.

The color of the lenses doesn’t matter
It is often assumed that dark glasses offer the best protection—but that is a misconception. Dark lenses without an adequate UV filter can actually let through more radiation than light-colored glasses. Nowadays, completely transparent glasses with protective features are available for purchase. Steirer-Optiker offers the option to test the filtering effect of sunglasses. Because: “Protection labels such as the UV-400 and CE marks aren’t always reliable,” they say. These are often counterfeited on cheap products.

Improper wearing habits and poor lens quality can significantly reduce the UV protection of sunglasses. In the worst case, this can cause even more damage to your eyes.

Kurt Otter, Landesinnungsmeister der Gesundheitsberufe

Contact lenses are not a good substitute
Otter also debunks another myth: Although contact lenses are now available with UV protection, they do not provide sufficient light protection. “The lens covers only part of the eye; the conjunctiva remains exposed and unprotected,” he explains. As a result, UV radiation can even cause tumors on the conjunctiva and eyelids. Cataracts or age-related macular degeneration can also result from poor sun protection—and may even lead to blindness.

Children need protection, too
When parents take their children outdoors, they usually apply sunscreen diligently and put a cap on their heads. But sunglasses are rarely considered. Yet in the first year of life, up to 90 percent of UV radiation reaches the retina. It is not until the age of 25 that the eyes are able to absorb some of the UV radiation. “Even the youngest children should wear sunglasses,” emphasizes Otter.

Clouds offer only limited protection
What many people don’t know: Even a thick cloud cover blocks only about ten percent of UV rays—up to 90 percent still hits the eyes unmitigated. Even shade reduces UV exposure by only half, Styrian opticians explain. The current season is particularly dangerous in this regard: “Especially in the spring, the sun’s strength is often underestimated, yet UV intensity is often as strong in April as it is in August,” says Otter.