You’ve slathered on the sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays, but what about your eyes? Did you know that your eyes are vulnerable to the same rays?
Simply donning shades can offer your eyes protection from the harmful rays that can increase your risk of developing diseases of the eye. That’s particularly important if you spent a lot of time working in the yard or sitting by the pool.
“Sunglasses are like sunscreen for your eyes,” says Dr. John Henehan, an optometrist in Poolside City, Georgia.
Henehan suggests choosing polarized lenses over tinted ones. Tinted lenses simply reduce brightness. Polaraized ones block harmful rays.
And don’t forget about the children. The American Academy of Pediatrics says that children’s eyes are especially sensitive to UV rays, meaning that wearing sunglasses can minimize exposure. There’s one more benefit, of course: kids in sunglasses are pretty darn cute!