Although it is often underlined that it should be worn in winter, we have brought together what should be known about sunglasses that we use mostly in summer! Stage sunglasses, which are bought in various ways to harmonize fashion, not only threaten eye health, but also make the eye vulnerable to eye infections. What should I consider when buying sunglasses? What features should be when buying sunglasses? Yeditepe University Hospitals Eye Health and Diseases Specialist Prof. Dr. Ilgaz Yalvac listed it.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE COLOR GLASS IN SUNGLASSES?
Glass should block ultraviolet rays. Sun rays emit ultraviolet (UV) radiation at a rate that human eyes cannot perceive or feel. Sunglasses that protect our eyes from the sun should be protected from UV rays and should be suitable for our eyes. In a quality sunglasses, it is primarily important whether the color of the glass blocks ultraviolet (UV) light rather than its dark or lightness.
Sunglasses must have a certificate that they cut absolutely UV or ultraviolet rays. Normally, each lens can block UV at different rates, but special coatings must be used for effective UV blocking. The light-blocking power of sunglasses is indicated by phrases such as UV200, UV400 and UV600. Especially at the seaside and while skiing, sunglasses with at least UV400 protection should be used.
CE (Conformité Européene) document. When you wear the glasses, you should not see blurry and details should not be lost. Quality sunglasses must have a valid registration document. Since 1995, according to European Union standards, quality glasses have CE (Conformité Européene) inscription. CE certificate states that the work complies with the minimum safety requirements. When buying glasses, attention should be paid to whether the glasses are stained or mica, and whether there are scratches, bubbles and curvatures on the glass.
WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING SUNGLASSES?
Another way to understand quality is to focus on a vertical line after wearing the glasses. In this case, when you move an unnumbered sunglasses, the landscape does not move. When we move the glasses slowly up and down, left and right, if there is play or breakage in this line, those glasses are not suitable.
Light absorption rate should be appropriate The “light absorption rate” in the user guides refers to how much of the light coming from outside the eyeglass lens absorbs, how much it reflects and how much it lets in. 40-50 percent absorption in the urban environment, 50-70 percent in mountainous regions where the sun rays are more steep, 80-85% absorption on the seaside and skiing is appropriate.
Not every valuable eyeglass means quality, Prof. Underlining that a quality sunglasses should definitely have “UV light blocking” feature, Prof. Dr. Ilgaz Yalvaç also states that the sunglasses without this feature only prevent the passage of excess light and conveys the following: Because when colored glass is attached, the pupil does not shrink. Thus, the wasted UV light enters the eye abundantly. A quality sunglasses should have quality and UV blocking documents.”
DON’T BE TAUGHT BY THE GLASS AND MIRRORED GLASSES!
Stating that mirrored glasses reflect some of the light coming into the eye, Prof. Dr. Ilgaz Yalvaç, “mirror coatings reduce the amount of light coming into the eye, but do not affect the UV blocking rate. Although the polarized glass feature is not normally associated with ultraviolet blocking, both polarized and effective ultraviolet blocking glasses provide a safer and more adequate visual comfort. There is no relationship between the lens color and the UV protection inside the lens,” he said.
FAKE SUNGLASSES THREATEN EYES!
Better not to wear at all than useless sunglasses! It’s better not to wear them at all than to wear fake glasses. Sunglasses that block only visible light but do not block UV rays disable the pupil’s ability to naturally defend itself. Since the pupil will open properly in the dark environment provided by the sunglasses, the invisible UV rays penetrate into the open pupil at a very high rate. Therefore, fake sunglasses without UV filters should not be used.
REAL KNOWN MISTAKES ABOUT GLASSES!
UV protection is not related to the intensity of the color of the glasses, but to the manufacturing issue. Coloring ratio provides visual comfort by only reducing the intensity of light. Polarized lenses cut glare, but do not protect against UV light. Cleaning the glasses with the ends of the clothes, throwing them carelessly in the bag or pocket are among the most common mistakes. These imperfections cause micro scratches on the glass. These invisible scratches degrade the quality of vision over time.
Keeping the glasses in their brand new box when not in use; Cleanliness should be done with running water, soap or the microfiber cloth supplied with the work. Contact lens wearers should wear sunglasses, even if their lenses are UV-filtered. Sunglasses protect against dryness in the eyes that contact lens wearers often encounter. In environments where the sun is very heavy, we must protect our eyes from the undesirable effects of sun rays, together with sunglasses and a hat with a visor.
