Why Wear Sunglasses?
You should always wear good quality sunglasses to protect your eyes against the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. UV rays can harm all the layers of the eye, including the skin around the eye. Wearing a cheap, poor quality pair of sunglasses can actually cause more damage than not wearing anything at all. If you’re unsure as to whether your sunglasses are decent quality, we are happy to advise you on this.
Sunglasses are important for everyone – especially for children of all ages. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), children’s eyes are more sensitive to UV absorption and up to 80 percent of a person’s lifetime exposure to UV will occur before the age of 18.
Choosing not to wear sunglasses, or choosing ones that aren’t 100% UV protective puts you at risk of ultraviolet radiation damage.
UV rays can cause:
- Cataracts – the clouding of the lens of the eye, and can be caused by excessive unprotected exposure to UV rays.
- Macular degeneration-a disease affecting the central part of the retina, resulting in central vision loss that is permanent.
- Sunburn to the front of the eye, also called photokeratitis or photoconjunctivitis, or UV keratitis. This is an incredibly painful red eye that is similar to a severe sunburn on your skin, but located on your eye. It can cause longterm problems.
- Pterygium or pingueculum, unsightly benign growth on the front tissue of the eye
- 5-10% of all skin cancers occur on the delicate skin around the eye
The sun’s UV rays can reflect off of surfaces like sand, water, ice, and snow, and bounce back towards our eyes. Only a polarized pair of sunglasses will eliminate those reflected rays and thus reduce glare and increase your visual comfort. Polarized sunglasses also improve your reaction time as a driver when driving in glare.
Choose from:
- Tinted Sunglasses block 100% UVA and UVB, and can be made up to 85% dark. If you prefer a lighter more customized tint, they can be made at any lower level of tint, but do not prevent reflected glare.
- Polarized Sun with 100% UVA and UVB and polarized treatment – both a safe and comfortable option for outdoor protection of your eyes, with the combination of UV protection and maximum glare reduction. This is the ultimate choice for people who are very glare sensitive even in lower light conditions.
- Transitions Lenses – 100% UVA and UVB protection that darkens your regular glasses when you go outdoors. Also available in polarized options, and now available in several new lens colour options. More about Transitions Lenses
There are many colours of lens tints available for all types of light and glare conditions. Our trained staff are happy to advise you on what would best suit your outdoor pursuits and visual needs.
We are proud to carry the following brands of sunglasses:
- Maui Jim
- Oakley
- Ray-Ban