Friday, January 22, 2010

UV Radiation and Your Eyes

Many people have heard of UV Rays and that they can be harmful to not only your skin but also your eyes. However, most people don't know the specific effects UV Rays have on vision.


UV Rays can cause eye damage, including cataracts and blurred vision. Many factors contribute to how sensitive your eyes are to the sun:

  1. Time of day - Your eyes are most susceptible to damage when the sun is highest in the sky, typically between 10am and 2pm.
  2. Altitude - Picture this: the higher up in altitude you go, the closer you are to the sun... and thus, the greater impact UV Rays have on your eyes.
  3. Geography - We all know that things heat up as you get closer to the equator, as does the severity of UV Rays.
  4. Medications - Make sure you read the bottle of your prescriptions and OTC medicines to see if they impact your eye sensitivity.
Long story short, don't go hiking the northern Andes mountains between 10am and 2pm while taking birth control... Kidding aside, live your life and enjoy the outdoors. Just make sure your eyes are protected!

For optimal protection while being active outdoors, try to find sunglasses with 100% UV protection with a close-fitting style. We highly recommend brands such as Costa del Mar and Oakley for our active outdoors customers.

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