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Are you sure that your favorite sunglasses protect you effectively against the sun? While this accessory is often used for style, it should not neglect its primary function. Here’s how you should choose them, for you and your children!
We tend to forget it, but before being a fashion accessory for the summer, the primary role of sunglasses is to protect our eyes. However, not all of them fulfill this function and some of them do not provide total protection against ultraviolet rays. A study carried out by Opinion Way for the Association for the Improvement of Sight (ASNAV) highlighted the behaviors that the French have in relation to their visual health. Here are the trends observed.
Tinted glasses are not enough to protect your eyes!
According to this barometer, 74% of French people do not know the level of protection of their sunglasses. One of the reasons is the difficulty in understanding the difference between protection against glare and that against invisible UV rays.
The one against glare is provided by the tint of the lenses while that against UV rays is allowed thanks to the material or the treatment of the lenses. However, it is important to know that UV rays are the main cause of premature aging of the eye and the appearance of pathologies such as cataracts or AMD (age-related macular degeneration).
Beyond the tint of your lenses, it is therefore imperative to ensure their treatment. And for this, what is better than calling on an optician?
Regulations to be respected for effective glasses
To be effective against UV rays, your sunglasses must meet several regulatory criteria, concerning the performance of the frame and lenses. First of all, you must be able to read the “CE” marking on your glasses. It is generally engraved on the inside of the arms of your glasses and is accompanied by the protection category ranging from 0 to 4.
Please note that category 3 meets the vast majority of uses. All of this information must be detailed in a notice written in French and accompany the pair of glasses.
Another factor to consider is where you buy your sunglasses. Only an optician, a visual health professional, can advise you correctly and guarantee quality glasses, thanks to the traceability of their suppliers.
Children also (and especially) must have their sunglasses!
Still according to the ASNAV barometer, 30% of children do not have sunglasses. However, it is essential to protect their eyes, which are much more fragile than in adulthood. Indeed, until the age of 10 to 12, the lens is completely transparent and therefore lets through very high doses of ultraviolet rays. With age, it loses its flexibility and becomes more opaque, causing long-term problems such as presbyopia or cataracts.
If so many children do not wear sunglasses or wear poor quality ones, it is partly because of the many preconceived ideas that we hear about this subject. Some parents think that inexpensive sunglasses, bought in a beach store, will be enough for their children. They do not want to invest too much for fear that their little ones will lose or break them. However, wearing tinted glasses without UV filtration would actually be riskier than not wearing them. The reason? With the tint of the lenses, the pupil tends to dilate which makes the retina all the more sensitive and exposed to the harmful rays of the sun.
So, by protecting your children’s eyesight now, you preserve it for their entire life!
Slide: Diseases that worsen with the sun