Sunglasses are one of the important fashion accessories that complete our combinations. In these days when even the cheapest is considered expensive and our purchasing power is not so bright, having a quality sunglasses is also included in the luxury category, but it should still be a must. In this article, we explain how bad quality and replica products can actually be dangerous for eye health.
When buying glasses, we do not pay much attention to the effect on our eye health, considering how well the frame and color suit our combination and our face. Fake sunglasses of poor quality, inadequate in UV protection, are very common in the market. Before the eye diseases caused by cheap glasses, let’s take a quick look at what UV rays are and why they are harmful.
UVA rays cause the most damage to the eyes
Ultraviolet wavelengths that reach the earth in the frequency range of 100-400 nanometers are called Ultraviolet. There are 3 types of UV rays: UVA, UVB and UVC. The most dangerous of these rays are UVA and UVB rays; They cause temporary and permanent damage to the skin, subcutaneous layers, around the eyes and inside the eye. UVA is called long wavelengths and UVB is called shorter wavelengths.
UVB rays have limited reach, just like the effect of sun rays on the skin surface. UVA rays, on the other hand, cause some eye diseases because they go to the lower layers of the skin and cause the main damage and disrupt the DNA structure.
Eye problems we will experience if we do not use sunglasses:
UVA rays cause damage to the macula point (yellow spot) and retina at the back of the eye, while UVB rays cause damage to the cornea, iris and pupil in the front of the eye, which allows light to fall on the retina.
UVB rays can cause short-term eye disorders such as burning, stinging, itching, bleeding, dryness and pain in the cornea. Some of the cumulative damage caused by UV rays are as follows:
Yellow spot disease caused by damage to the macula
It is a disease caused by damage to the retina in the yellow spot at the back of the eye. Yellow spot disease is also known as macular damage. This disease, which occurs as a result of the accumulation of waste material in the yellow spot (macula), can cause blindness in later ages if not treated.
A piece of flesh growing inside the eye: Pterjium
It is an eye disease that occurs with the thickening of the vessels and connective tissues in the white membrane (sclera) surrounding the cornea. Pterygium, the enlargement of the eye, is also known as “bird’s wing” among the people. Hypersensitivity to light is among the symptoms in patients.
The result of watching a solar eclipse with the naked eye: Solar retinopathy
It is a disease that occurs as a result of damage to the tissues in the inner part of the eye by severe rays after solar eclipses, which are exposed to direct UV rays and are rarely seen with the naked eye.
Benign and malignant reflections of UV rays: Eyelid tumors
Just like DNA damage in our entire body, the skin on our eyelids is exposed to UV rays. There are benign and malignant types of eye tumors based on the cumulative damage that results from this.
Lens damage: Cataract
It is an eye disease that occurs as a result of the loss of transparency of our eye lens (lens), whose task is to transmit the image to the retina. The lens cannot transmit light and image to the retina over time. Although cataract is referred to as a disease related to aging, the cumulative damage caused by the rays over time also has a great effect.
The nightmare of light-sensitive eyes: Eye allergies
Eye allergies, which have typical symptoms such as redness, burning, stinging, and tearing, can be caused by sunlight, dust, pet dander and allergens in the air. Since the sun’s rays cause sensitivity in the eyes of people, its share in this eye discomfort is also high.
How do sunglasses protect from UV rays?
Since a polarized good quality lens will reflect UV rays, the rays do not penetrate into the eye and do not cause deterioration in the structure of the eye. However, an ordinary and poor quality eyeglass lens is not enough to protect from UV rays.
There is a misconception in society that the darker an ordinary eyeglass lens is, the less it transmits rays. On the contrary, when the pupil does not perceive enough light, it enlarges and more harmful rays enter the eye, since ordinary glass does not provide sufficient protection. This means bigger eye diseases in the long run. In other words, the fact that a pair of sunglasses is dark does not mean that it protects enough.
The lens color of the sunglasses may vary depending on the place and purpose of use. Let’s explain with an example. Let’s think of someone camping in the forest. In an environment with excessive green color, a glass color that will neutralize this will tire the eyes less and provide a more comfortable vision.
Let’s take a person who goes skiing to Uludağ during the semester break. Everywhere is covered with snow. This means more UV rays as it is a white reflective surface. Yes, even in the snowy season. For this reason, we should use CE (Conformité Européene) certified sunglasses that are well polarized and have at least UV 400 protection.
Today, we talked about the health problems you may experience if you don’t use quality sunglasses and why you should use good quality sunglasses. If you want more content like this to come, we are waiting for you in the comments.
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