Don’t Turn a Blind Eye to Sun Damage with Eye Protection Solutions

The rays of the sun give your mind, body and spirit the sense that you are on vacation and put a smile on your face. UV protection protects not only your skin, but also your eyes, and guarantees that you will enjoy the sun without regrets. Not wearing sunglasses can cause damage to your cornea, lens and conjunctiva. ZEISS sunglass lenses provide reliable UV protection.

Actors, musicians and show business people wear them all the time – summer and winter, day and night: sunglasses. However, they are much more than a cool accessory. In fact, sunglasses protect your eyes from dangerous UV rays. When you buy a pair, though, make sure you choose good quality.

While even the lowest-priced models offer adequate UV protection, the lenses in cheap models are usually pressed and not cut. Consequently, these lenses may not provide good vision. Especially if you wear sunglasses for an extended period of time, this may fatigue your eyes. Cheaper sunglasses are also harder to adjust and even if you wear them only for short periods of time, they may leave impressions on your skin. That just is not cool.

Tip: Before you buy a pair of sunglasses, see your eye care professional and have him give you detailed advice on glasses with good UV protection. Test the difference between quality lenses and basic pressed lenses.

Why you should wear sunglasses: While your eye does adjust itself to different levels of brightness with the assistance of its pupil which contracts when strong light penetrates the eye, it can only do this up to a certain level. If your surroundings are very bright, your eyes may be dazzled – and you may not be able to see at all, regardless of your otherwise normal vision.

A good pair of sunglasses will prevent this from happening. Another very important factor is that it provides excellent UV protection. Intense yet invisible ultraviolet rays or extended exposure to them can eventually lead to painful inflammation of the conjunctiva and the cornea and ultimately cause damage. There are a few warning signals that will tell you that your eyes have been exposed to too much sun: They feel fatigued, red and tense, and sometimes they will tear up. If this happens, make sure you keep them out of the sun for a few days and buy a good pair of sunglasses.

How can I identify a good pair of sunglasses? Look for the CE label. It ensures that the sunglasses meet the fundamental safety requirements stipulated in the European guidelines. Unfortunately, an agency that does verify compliance with these standards has still not been assigned. However, an optometrist can check your glasses with a special measuring tool.

• UV protection: The most important criterion for good sunglasses.
  
• Colour of the lenses: While it has no impact on the level of UV protection, it does have an effect on the protection against glare. Brown, grey and green lenses distort the natural colours the least. You will still view things in their original colors. All other colours require the eye to make adjustments. Make sure that you choose a color for use in cars if you are planning to wear the sunglasses while you are driving (signal recognition, DIN EN ISO 14889). All ZEISS lenses in standard colors meet this standard. Tip: Shaded lenses with absorption rates of 25% and higher are generally not suitable for nighttime driving.
• Lens quality: Just like every other decent pair of glasses, sunglasses should have cut lenses. Plastic and glass are both suitable materials. High end lenses in Category 1 do not have any streaks, bubbles or enclosures in them, which could give you headaches or fatigue your eyes. When you press a finger lightly against the lenses, they should not move. Perform a test: An object you look at through sunglasses should not be distorted if the glasses are moved back and forth.
  
• Photochromic glasses: If you have a tough time deciding whether to buy dark or lighter glasses, choose photochromic lenses. Anyone who can't decide between clear or dark should choose self-tinting lenses. Like magic, the lens darkens in bright light and clears in the dark in seconds. For eyes that are sensitive to light, we recommend buying self-tinting lenses. If your eyes are light sensitive, we recommend you purchase PhotoFusion X lenses.
• Anti-reflective lenses: Many people forego this option thinking it is redundant. However, the reflections of colored lenses are much more annoying – to the person wearing the glasses and the person looking at him or her - than those of glasses that are not shaded.

Our Tip: Contrast-boosting Sunglasses

Carl Zeiss Vision also offers a range of sunglasses that have been treated with premium quality immersion dyes. They have been developed for specific applications that call for increased UV and glare protection on the one hand and that meet certain contrast requirements on the other hand. Sports such as paragliding, skiing, motorcycle or bicycle riding frequently occur under extreme light conditions. Contrast rich vision is of particular importance – especially for safety reasons.

Patients with retina problems need special sunglasses. ZEISS special filter lenses provide ideal solutions. They absorb parts of the visible spectrum completely. Receptors that are sensitive to this range are intentionally underexposed to protect the eye. These glasses are particularly helpful for patients suffering from retinitis pigmentosa, i.e., diabetic retinopathy. Carl Zeiss offers a series of so-called filter clips.