UV Eye Alert! Protect Your Eyes with Polarized Sunglasses!

Just as the sun’s rays can damage your skin with sunburn, premature aging and skin cancer; these rays can also potentially have bad consequences for your eyes.  Growing evidence shows that long-term exposure to UV rays can lead to macular degeneration and cataracts, serious eye conditions that can cause vision impairment or loss.

            As you begin preparing for your vacation destination be sure to take these basic precautions when in the sun this spring in order to protect your eyes from damage associated with UV exposure.  When possible, limit your time in the sun and take breaks often throughout the day.  Also make sure to wear a wide-brimmed hat, and polarized sunglasses that filter 99% of UV rays.

            Polarized sunglass lens technology is often a great choice for your day at the beach as they effectively filter out horizontally polarized light reflected from the surface of the water that is often the cause of harmful glare.  Due to this fact, Polarized lenses have long been the standard in sunglasses for fishermen but now all those that love the outdoors are enjoying their tremendous benefits as well. 

            Remembering to protect your children’s eyes is also important as studies now show that children may receive up to 80% of their exposure to damaging UV rays by age 18.  To keep them safe, follow the same precautions as you would for an adult, while making sure to choose sunglasses that properly fit their smaller faces, have impact resistant lenses with quality frames, and have lenses large enough to shield their entire eye. 

            Stop in to see your eye doctor before you head out on your trip to the beach.  We are the experts that can help you have your day in the sun while safely protecting the eyes as well.  We can recommend the best in quality polarized sunglasses in both prescription and non-prescription that meet the highest standards for sun and safety protection our industry has to offer.     

Sports and Vision: Are Your Eyes Helping or Hurting Performance?

                We love our sports in Georgia and the warm weather can bring many opportunities to participate in new athletic endeavors.  While our love for sports will often lead us to buy the latest and greatest golf driver or baseball bat to help us hit a ball farther; we often may neglect our most important piece of equipment; our eyes.    

Having the correct eyeglasses/contact lenses prescription is paramount in this effort and prescription eyewear must be kept up to date in order to properly see during any athletic activity.  It is also important to know which eye is your dominant eye to determine how to line up objects in your field of vision. The dominant eye processes information faster and often sees more clearly than the non-dominant eye as well.  About 80% of the population is same side dominant; for example Right Handed and Right Eye Dominant while approximately 20% of the population is cross dominant (i.e. Right Handed and Left Eye Dominant). 

Knowing your ocular dominance is particularly helpful in side on sports such as baseball and golf where the athlete stands to the side of the ball as they hit it.  In this situation, an athlete who is cross dominant such as a left eye dominant right-handed batter/golfer is thought to have an advantage because the dominant eye is closer to the action and able to better visualize the ball as they setup and swing. 

                One simple test to find out your dominant eye is to focus on an object across the room such as a light switch. Then make a circle of space between your hands just large enough to see the light switch through your hands from a distance of about 12 feet.  Once you have the light switch in focus between your hands with both eyes open, close one eye and then the other.  The eye that can still see the light switch within the circle made by your hands is your dominant eye. 

After determining your dominant eye, this information can aid your ability to perform in your sport.  In baseball a right-handed batter that is right eye dominant may need to better position his head in order to get his right eye around and better see the ball out of the pitcher’s hand.  There are many applications to this knowledge and a good place to start is a comprehensive eye exam with your eye care professional.

UV Eye Alert! Protect Your Eyes with Polarized Sunglasses!

Just as the sun’s rays can damage your skin with sunburn, premature aging and skin cancer; these rays can also potentially have bad consequences for your eyes.  Growing evidence shows that long-term exposure to UV rays can lead to macular degeneration and cataracts, serious eye conditions that can cause vision impairment or loss.

            As you begin preparing for your vacation destination be sure to take these basic precautions when in the sun this spring in order to protect your eyes from damage associated with UV exposure.  When possible, limit your time in the sun and take breaks often throughout the day.  Also make sure to wear a wide-brimmed hat, and polarized sunglasses that filter 99% of UV rays.

            Polarized sunglass lens technology is often a great choice for your day at the beach as they effectively filter out horizontally polarized light reflected from the surface of the water that is often the cause of harmful glare.  Due to this fact, Polarized lenses have long been the standard in sunglasses for fishermen but now all those that love the outdoors are enjoying their tremendous benefits as well. 

            Remembering to protect your children’s eyes is also important as studies now show that children may receive up to 80% of their exposure to damaging UV rays by age 18.  To keep them safe, follow the same precautions as you would for an adult, while making sure to choose sunglasses that properly fit their smaller faces, have impact resistant lenses with quality frames, and have lenses large enough to shield their entire eye. 

            Stop in to see your eye doctor before you head out on your trip to the beach.  We are the experts that can help you have your day in the sun while safely protecting the eyes as well.  We can recommend the best in quality polarized sunglasses in both prescription and non-prescription that meet the highest standards for sun and safety protection our industry has to offer.     

Keep Driving Safely and Comfortably with Polarized Sunglasses

I always look forward to the cooler weather and watching the leaves change this time of year. But something I usually don’t expect is having to reach for my sunglasses more and more often. However, as the season has changed, you also may have noticed your day getting shorter and the sun setting earlier (especially on your evening drive home).
Hopefully like me, you have some polarized sunglasses you can rely on to reduce glare when you are driving, for a safe and comfortable ride home.

Most light reflected from surfaces such as a flat road or smooth water is generally horizontally polarized, meaning that this light is traveling in a horizontally oriented direction. Polarized lenses have a filter within them that blocks this reflected light and thus reduces glare.

Polarized lens technology has been popular with fishermen for years due to their ability to help eliminate the reflected glare off the water. Today many other outdoor enthusiasts have discovered the benefits of polarized sunglasses as well; including golfers, skiers, bikers, joggers, and more. Of particular benefit, these lenses can reduce eyestrain and fatigue from squinting on the golf course for enhanced sports performance. Also, when driving these lenses can help reduce glare off the hood of your car and the surface of the road.

When choosing a Polarized sunglass lens it is important to choose a lens that blocks glare from every angle, effectively manages blue light, and enhances colors for the best optical clarity available. For more information on polarized sunglases check out this article and link.

Tis the Season for UV Protection

While spending the Memorial Day weekend at the beach this year, I couldn't help but notice the lack of sunglasses for so many beach goers. It always amazes me that everyone on the beach remembers to protect their skin with sunscreen while in the sun, but the majority have not thought about the importance of sunglasses for eye protection.

UV-A and UV-B rays produced from the sun represent the largest danger to your eyes in both the short term and long term. Large amounts of UV radiation over a short period of time can result in photokeratitis, or a "sunburn to the eye". This can be extremely painful giving extreme light sensitivity, burning eyes, and excessive tearing to someone on a summer vacation, and can also be common in snow skiers without sunglasses. Over the long term, conditions such as cataracts and macular degeneration are more common with extended UV exposure.

A high quality pair of polarized sunglasses will block 99 percent of UV rays and help reduce glare when outdoors. These tips from the AOA explain how to properly protect your eyes from the sun this summer.