What does Christina look for in sunglasses?

"When shopping for new sunglasses it is important my shades meet 3 requirements. First, I wear my sunglasses daily so they must be cute and trendy. Two, they must have maximum UV protection. And three, they must be inexpensive because I tend to misplace a few pairs throughout the summer. My latest pair of sunglasses are the Merona Rubberized Tortoise Sunglasses from Target. Not only does this pair meet all my requirements they have been my favorite yet!"

If you are in the market for OTC sunglasses, remember the guidelines for making your purchase.  Like Christina states, they MUST be 100% UV blocking to be worth your money, even if they are inexpensive!  For more key points when buying over the counter sunglasses, this guide reviews all the fine points that I discuss with my patients.  And remember, if you pay for vision insurance, you can use your insurance benefits for prescription sunglasses too because they are medical devices.  Just another way to protect your eyes,get the great fashion we all desire in sunglasses, while saving money at the same time since many of us are already paying monthly for vision benefits or putting funds away in flex spending accounts that must be used by the end of the year.  So many of my patients don't realize that sunglasses count for their insurance benefits, but as long as your doctor prescribes them (and there is no reason not to!) then you can get them covered.  Some insurances require there to be a minimum prescription inside sunglasses to be covered, but your insurance company or any optical that accepts insurance will be able to investigate your plan for you.  There are so many ways to purchase sunglasses; just don't give yourselves any excuses to not protect the eyes -- whether you buy them or you apply insurance benefits, there is not reason to not invest in 100% UV protective sunglasses for the long term benefits of healthy eyes and clear vision.

Points for double protection!!  Sunglasses protect the eyes from direct light and the hat protects the eyes from overhead light, as well as the rest of the face.

On every pair of OTC sunglasses that meet regulations, there is a little sticker that will say somewhere between 98 to 100% UV A/ UV B blocking.  This is the first thing you need to look for.  If your sunglasses don't say this, then you aren't getting the protection you deserve.  Light from the sun enters the atmosphere in a spectrum of wavelengths, but the shorter wavelength ultraviolet rays are the most harmful.  UV C and most of UV B spectrum radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere (one of the great benefits of the ozone layer).  The remaining UV radiation that penetrates falls into the UV A and UV B spectrum, so that is what you need protection against.  These rays cause issues like sunburns and skin cancers, both of which can occur on and inside your eye.

• Darker Doesn't Mean More Protection

Tint on sunglasses is not the same thing as UV protection.  This is a common misconception -- I have even heard other doctors make this same mistake.  Here's an example -- Transitions or photogray lenses change from clear to dark when you step outside due to the UV exposure reacting with chemical polymers in the lens.  People routinely find that Transitions or photogray technology does not darken to the same extent as regular sunglasses, but they are still 100% UV blocking!  There is other research suggesting that darker sunglasses without UV protection inherent in the lens may actually be MORE harmful than lighter sunglasses without UV protection.  Why?  In darker conditions, your pupil is larger and thus lets more harmful UV radiation penetrate inside the eye!

Polarized just means added glare filtration; nothing to do with UV light penetration Via

• Polarized Sunglasses Aren't Healthier for the Eyes

When we think of cataracts, macular degeneration, and cancers, we think of these issues affecting the elderly.  While it is true that in elderly people these conditions are much more prevalent, the latest science is showing us that the damage from UV radiation sparking these conditions is occurring when we are children!  As we age, our eye develops protection from UV light in the form of thickening of the lens (a structure that focuses light to the internal retinal photoreceptors).  In children, the lens is very thin and very clear, allowing as much as 70% of the atmospheric UV light to penetrate into the eye.  It is a lifetime of UV radiation that causes cancers and diseases like macular degeneration, so to protect yourself you have to start young.

• Prescription Sunglasses Are Affordable Too

And let me tell you, it is an amazing world.  Inside the eye I am viewing your actual blood vessels, live, as they are actively moving blood through your body.  I am seeing brain tissue (your retinal cells) and the nerve fiber layer that carries information from those neural cells back deeper into the brain.  I can see damage from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes without ever checking your blood pressure or drawing your blood.  And every now and then, I can see something truly unexpected; a growth inside the eye that no one could ever have known was back there unless they looked.

Retinal Hamartoma

Have you ever had someone tell you their doctor found a brain tumor?  Growths inside the eye can by malignant tumors requiring immediate treatment before they spread to the brain, or they can be benign growths without any complications.  Below is one example of the latter: a retinal hamartoma.  These are benign glial tumors that can occur at random, or be related to systemic conditions like tuberous sclerosis.  They rarely ever require treatment, and in most cases will never grow or change in appearance.  This particular patient's was first discovered in early childhood.  Years of retinal images show complete stability.

Or, if you have Siri, just tell her to remind you to change your contact lenses on X date every month, and she will let you know. 

In my opinion, these apps should be simple and straightforward.  All you need is a monthly or 14 day reminder that your lens should be thrown away that night.  Remember that "skipping" a day of wear doesn't mean anything in relation to how often you should be throwing away your soft contact lenses because of the way the materials deteriorate when stored in solution and a case.  Your solution needs to be changed daily due to the bacteria that is being accumulated inside; and your contact lens case needs to be thrown away every 3 months.  Your case should be air dried daily (empty of lenses and solution!) so that there is no chance that a biofilm (a mass of bacterial cells accumulated together that are very resistant to antibiotics) can develop.  In short, you need to treat your contact lenses like a medical device that is being inserted into your body daily, easily contaminated by the outside world.  

The large majority of contact lens wearers are able to wear their lenses year after year without side effects, so don't give yourself any excuses why you can't do the same.  If you follow your lens' guidelines, your eyes should be able to stay healthy enough for contact lens wear too!