How does sunlight impact your eyes?
Has mom or dad ever told you not to stare at the sun for too long? That’s common parent-to-child advice. It’s sound advice. Wanna know why? I’ll take that as a YES!
Despite the daily benefits we receive, the sun with its rays can cause serious optical harm. I’m sure you’ve faced moments throughout the day while walking, driving, skiing, sailing, fishing, or other situations when all of a sudden BAM! You are hit with a flash of light—a glare of some sort—in your eyes and then you try to block it out with anything you have in your immediate possession to defend those sensitive eyes. If you’re like me, you usually use your hands and then think, I wish I had a pair of sunglasses at this exact moment.
When sunlight reflects off of water, snow, metal, flat roads, and the occasional smartphone (annoying as that may be), it can often be dangerous. The glare from the sun can cause accidents, snow blindness and sunburned eyes—yes, that’s a real thing. Exposure to the sun has been known to increase the chances of cataracts. So thanks mom and dad for teaching us not to stare at the sun for too long.
What are polarized filtered sunglasses?
Alright, so you know the problem. We’ve walked through a couple of scenarios where you’ve blinded those beautiful sunny rays. What’s next?
Technology is a wonderful thing. Most quality glasses guarantee UV ray protection; which is essential for healthy eyes (buyer beware: ensure that the sunglasses have the UV protection label). However, polarized sunglasses are the next level up. Polarized shades are given a coated layer of extra chemicals that profoundly absorbs sunlight, thus reducing optical damage. Not only do polarized-enhanced glasses offer protection, but they provide increased visibility in almost every situation—except for at night. Fortunately, polarized sunglasses even come with prescribed and non-prescribed polarized lenses, in case you need that sort of thing.
How does polarization work?
Because sunlight, glares, and reflections can be complicated, we’ll keep this part simple. When sunlight appears, it falls vertically from the sky and bounces off of reflective material such as water, ice, snow, and asphalt. The reflectional glare enters your eyes from multiple angles at a time. This reflection is called polarized light. Polarized filtered lenses can prevent most direct sunlight and most angled glares, keeping your precious eyes safe from harm.
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Thanks for reading our blog post. If you’re interested in learning about which brands offer polarized sunglasses, take a look at these sunglasses. As always, get educated and stay informed by subscribing to our weekly newsletter.