SUNGLASSES

The Active Life Strongly Recommends that you do Not Forget Your Eyewear

Sunglasses are often perceived as a fashion accessory, but wearing sunglasses outdoors on a regular basis is actually crucial for the health of your eyes – especially if you spend a lot of time outside, hiking, mountaineering or climbing. Most of us remember the feeling of tired and overly sensitive eyes after spending a long time in the sun without sunglasses. Your eyes are indeed harmed by overexposure to ultraviolet radiation. Consider this, UV-rays are a contributing factor in the development of eye issues like cataracts (leading to blindness), macular degeneration and eye-surface problems like pterygium and pinguecula. So, what we say at the Active Life is do not forget to wear your eyeglasses.

The UV rays from the sun actually increase with altitude (4% for every 305 meters/1000 feet). So hikers and mountaineers are more at risk than when they spend time at higher altitudes. Another factor can be the reflection of sun rays from landscapes more or less covered with snow, ice or water. Remember that UV light is also present on grey and cloudy days since at least 40-50% of the sun rays penetrate through the cloud cover, which means that your eyes can easily get tired and irritated in not so sunny weather.

Besides UV light, sunglasses can also protect your eyes from wind which can dry out and irritate your eyes.