Sight is the sense we use the most out of our 5 senses. That's why it's important to protect your eyes in summer when the sun is intense. Our eyes are delicate and require attention.
What are the risks of the sun for your eyes?
At the front of the eye is the cornea, which protects the eyes from the sun's UV rays. UV, ultraviolet rays, are part of the sun's radiation. This light is invisible to the naked eye but is always present.
In small doses, UV provides us with vitamin D and allows us to tan. In high doses, UV rays become dangerous. There are 5 UV indices, from low to extreme risk. From the first index, it is necessary to protect your eyes to avoid damaging the cornea. Once the cornea is damaged, the sensitive parts of the eyes can be affected. And our vision is in danger.
Indeed, there are many diseases related to overexposure of the eyes to ultraviolet rays such as:
- keratitis: this is an inflammation of the cornea that manifests as a burning sensation.
- ophthalmia: this is a real "sunburn" of the cornea.
- cataracts: if the lens (the sensitive part of the eye behind the cornea) is too exposed to the sun, it will age prematurely, lose its transparency, and become opaque. People over 65 are more concerned due to age and the sensitivity of their eyes.
- AMD: Age-related Macular Degeneration is a condition that generally appears after the age of 50 and after the retina has been too exposed to UV rays. It now affects more than a million French people.
How to protect yourself?
The main recommendation is, of course, to wear sunglasses as soon as the good weather arrives.
To choose them well, you should consider a few criteria:
1. The UV filter
Beware, not all sunglasses are equipped with solar lenses that filter 100% of UV rays!
To recognize them, they must have the inscription "100% UV". The mentions "UV400" or "E-SPF 50" indicate superior filter performance. Certain materials such as polycarbonate naturally filter 100% of UV rays. Without a UV filter on your sunglasses, your eyes are in danger.
2. The intensity of the tint
The darker a lens is, the more it reduces the amount of light entering the eye. The intensity also protects you from glare. The color of the solar lenses does not affect UV protection.
On the other hand, you can choose polarized glasses with polarized lenses: they have a filter that eliminates reflections (sea, road...) and limits reverberation and glare. You then have better visual precision.
3. The quality of the lenses
Even without correction, there are different optical qualities of solar lenses. It is recommended to buy your sunglasses from an eye care professional.
Varionet offers you a selection of branded and quality sunglasses:
- Vuarnet sunglasses: comfort and protection with the famous Vuarnet mineral skylinx, polar brown lenses... Vuarnet.
- Persol, Oakley sunglasses: Italian class, elegance, sporty look for these famous brands.
In addition, Varionet uses quality lenses made of polycarbonate, which filter 100% of UV rays, so you can choose to equip your reading sunglasses with:
- grey photochromic lenses, with a variable tint depending on the amount of UV, the lens is clear indoors and darkens in the sun. It has an anti-reflective coating for more comfort. This option is available on all reading glasses except pre-assembled reading glasses.
- close-up lenses with a grey-green tint of category 3 for all solar reading glasses.
Varionet also offers sunglasses and over-glasses with good coverage and polarized lenses at low prices starting from €19.99.
Find our solar reading glasses, our polarized glasses, or our sunglasses on www.varionet.com
