EYE FOCUS | COVER STORY
“You should choose a tint dark enough to decrease the brightness you
will be exposed to and a large or wrapped lens to cover as much of the
eye area as possible.”
“Also, less squinting in the sun
means less wrinkles!”
Dr. North says “overexposure to UV
rays can cause photokeratitis and
photoconjunctivitis, essentially a
sunburn to the delicate surfaces at
the front of the eye. This can be quite
painful and cause blurred vision, but
14 EYE FOCUS June Digital 2019
generally does not cause permanent
damage.
“Long-term overexposure will cause
more permanent changes to these
tissues, causing pterygia, an over-
growth of skin onto the clear cornea,
which can blur vision and/or become
inflamed.”
Over 90 per cent of UV rays penetrate
through clouds and UV radiation also
reflects off surfaces like water, snow,
concrete, sand and glass.
The most important factor when
choosing sunglasses is the level of UV
protection. Since this cannot be seen,
you must rely on the labelling of the
sunglasses.
“It’s always best to choose a reputable
brand from a reputable seller and
to make sure there is a sticker or tag
indicating the lenses are UVA/UVB
protective. Your office is a great place
for your patients to start their search,
so make sure they know you are avail-
able to help,” says Dr. Bazan.
Not all lenses labelled “UV pro-
tection” provide safe and optimal
levels of protection. Choose quality
sunglasses or contacts that block
out 99 to 100 per cent of UVA and
UVB radiation and screen out 75-90
percent of visible light.
After UV protection, “you should
choose a tint dark enough to decrease
the brightness you will be exposed to
and a large or wrapped lens to cover
as much of the eye area as possible,”
says Dr. North. “Ensure that plas-
tic lenses have a scratch resistant
coating and that the lenses have no
distortions.”