Protect Your Eyes From the Sun

You protect your skin from the sun, but what about your eyes? UV radiation can be just as detrimental to eye and vision health as it is to the skin. Read on to learn how the sun can impact your eyes, and what the best course of action is to shield your eyes from its more harmful elements.

UV Radiation & Eye Health

UV stands for “ultraviolet” — a range of electromagnetic radiation that we cannot see visually, but that still has a significant impact on our bodies and environment. UV radiation is categorized into three different groups: UVC, UVB and UVA rays. These groups are identified based on the wavelengths of light they emit. 

UVC rays have the shortest wavelengths, and as such contain the highest amount of energy of the three. Fortunately for us, nearly all UVC rays emitted by the sun are blocked by the ozone layer, which minimizes the amount of damage that they can do to our bodies. 

UVB rays have the next highest energy of the three wavelengths. The ozone layer blocks some but not all of these rays, and overexposure can result in damage to the body in the form of burns, skin cancer and premature aging in the skin; as well as short-term eye problems like snow blindness — caused by inflammation in the cornea — and pinguecula, a discoloration and thickening of the conjunctiva that can cause pain or discomfort.

Finally, UVA rays have the lowest energy of the three. However, they can cause the most damage to your eye, as they’re able to penetrate all the way through to the retina. Over time, overexposure of the eyes to UVA rays can lead to the development of cataracts and macular degeneration.

Protect Your Eyes

To protect your eyes from the harmful effects of UV radiation, it’s extremely important to invest in a good pair of protective sunglasses. Not all shades are created equal, so make sure that any pair you buy is fortified with the highest degree of UV-blocking technology.

Eagle Eyes makes over 100 styles of sunglasses, all infused with advanced optic properties that not only block blue light and 99.9% of UVA and UVB radiation, but also increase clarity and visual acuity via polarization. Known as TriLenium® lenses, this technology was developed from original NASA optic technology, first created to protect astronauts working in space.

You can view our full collection of stylishly protective sunglasses here, and read about our different lens technologies here.