I know most of us have worn the glasses that we normally term as shades at one point in time in our lives. It has an aesthetic appeal that comes with its wear especially when one wears black, or wants to portray the idea of having the time of their life.
It is mostly found with guys, but ladies do wear and slay with them. The question that one of my patients asked me today regarding his "shades" that he bought for a funeral he would be attending during the weekend was, "Doc, is it safe to wear this?" and I used the opportunity to share some things with him regarding that. I want to share that with you today...
Are Shades Safe for my Eyes
The safety of your dark tinted glasses otherwise known as shades depends on one important parameter which is called UV protection or UV coating. The whole idea of glasses came about with the focus of enhancing vision as well as protecting our eyes from harmful radiations such as UV from the atmosphere as well as other factors in the environment that may cause potential damage to the eye.
Now when these tinted glasses are obtained from the right source, when I say right source I mean an eye care professional, then one shouldn't have much to worry about the safety of their shades because your eye care professional will ensure that they come with what we call UV protective coatings and that it serves the maximum purpose who which you wish to obtain even if it is just aesthetics.
Unfortunately, like the "shades" that my patient presented, it was just made with dark tints, no protection or coating whatsoever and so at that point it posed more health risk to him should he be wearing it all the time. Now what happens with this is that the dark appeal tricks your mind into thinking that it is dark or in the evening, and naturally during low lumination as it mostly occurs in the evenings, our eyes open up so that the smallest amount of light will aid one's vision.
Now imagine your eyes opening up like this on a bright sunny day, when the eye is supposed to be closing up to prevent UV rays from entering your eye, you will be damaging your cells and the damage in this instance is worse as compared if the person wasn't even wearing any glasses. Why? Because the eye has a natural mechanism in place to reduce the UV rays that get into the eye.
And so shades can be safely provided they come with the necessary coatings and protections, but this may be best determined by your Optometrist, so avoid buying any kind of shades or glasses at a convenience store if your focus is on your safety. When I doubt always speak to a professional.
Conclusion
As I always say, do well to have regular eye checkups, when in doubt speak to your care provider, avoid the use of over-the-counter drugs without a prescription, and remember to always love your eyes as the theme of world sight day suggests.
@nattybongoIt was a pleasure serving you, thanks for reading and for your time and I do hope that you learned a thing or two today. Cheers