As summer quickly approaches, people are spending more time under the warm sun. Sunlight has many benefits, such as regulating our melatonin, helping our bodies create Vitamin D, and decreasing the rate of myopia in children who spend more time outdoors. On the flip side, sun lights, specifically UV rays, could cause problems to our skin and eyes.

Many of us protect our skin with sunscreen, but we are not as consistent in protecting our eyes with sunglasses. Sunglasses are not just fashion items – good quality sunglasses can shield your eyes and the skin around the eyes from the sun’s harmful rays. It is important to wear sunglasses that provide 99-100% UVA and UVB protection.

Many low vision patients complain that sunlight causes glare and “washes out” vision. At the same time, people tend to not wear sunglasses because the lenses are “too dark” and “it is hard to see out of them”. Darkness of sunglass lenses does not equal more protection. Unfortunately, most commercially available sunglasses come with limited selections of colors and are often too dark for low vision patients.

Spectrios offers a thorough filter evaluation to find a perfect color for you that will not only provide UV protection but enhance contrast and overall quality of vision. Different shades are recommended to accommodate changes in weather, such as bright sunny days and darker cloudy days. A wide range of colored filters from different companies can be tried to find perfect, individualized colors.

Standard sunglasses, clip-on, and photochromic (transitions) lenses are good options for UV protection and are cosmetically pleasing. However, eyes are still exposed to UV rays coming in from sides, above and below the lenses. Wrap-around fit-over glasses are preferred as they provide the most amount of protection by blocking exposure from all angles.

If you need help finding the perfect pair of sunglasses, make an appointment with one of our specially trained Low Vision Doctors! Call 630-690-7115 to make your appointment.