Ultraviolet rays are stronger every day, so it is not only recommended to wear sunglasses in summer, which is when the sun is most active, but also in winter, because ultraviolet rays are also present in winter.

Every day the sun’s radiation is stronger and not only damages our skin, but also our eyes. Wearing sunglasses is not very common in Peru, however, it is extremely important to do so, since it prevents different diseases. To learn about the importance of wearing sunglasses in the summer, Bienestar magazine from El Comercio newspaper spoke with Verónica Talavera, an ophthalmologist at Clinica Ricardo Palma, who gave us some recommendations on the characteristics that our sunglasses should have.

“The protection of sunglasses prevents receiving radiation in the eyes. Ultraviolet light is dangerous, since it is cumulative; that is, if we sunbathe and it hits our eyes directly, the burns will not be evident instantly, but we will only see the damage in the future”, explains the doctor.

Consequences of not wearing sunglasses

Talavera assures that receiving the sun directly in the eyes has different consequences, among them:

• Cataracts: The doctor assures that we are all going to have cataracts, but who receives more or is more exposed to the sun, has greater crystalline wear and may get it sooner than it should.
• Chronic diseases: Our eye normally has protection in the cornea, like the crystalline lens. The problem is that the retina has nothing to cover it and when ultraviolet rays enter it, that is when irreversible chronic diseases can occur, such as macular degeneration.
• Aging of the eye: This is not only related to advancing age, but also to macular degeneration

“On the other hand, myopia, astigmatism and farsightedness normally have a hereditary tendency and in some cases it is being affected by the use of technology, but not by the sun”, she adds.

The pigmentation of the eye and its sensitivity

Many times, we have heard that people with light eyes are more sensitive to the sun than those with dark eyes. Talavera assures that this occurs due to the pigmentation of each eye.

“It works like skin, a brown person can cause burns, but it has greater resistance than white skin; In the case of the eyes, the clear ones are those that do not have pigmentation and for this reason, they are more photosensitive than the dark eyes. However, exposure in both cases can have long-term consequences”, she says.

What sunglasses should I wear?

The expert recommends the following sunglasses:

• For young people: It is recommended that they wear dark glasses, they can be black or brown, because they can have better visual quality.
• For the elderly: Glasses should be an amber tint, rather than dark.
• For children: It is better to buy glasses recommended by a specialist and with UV protection. If they can’t tolerate them, they should wear hats to prevent direct radiation.
• For those with prescription: In this case, prescription sunglasses must have 100% UV protection and tinting. For contact lens wearers, sunglasses must also be worn over contact lenses.

Dr. Verónica Talavera
Ophthalmologist at Clinica Ricardo Palma

Source: elcomercio.pe