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There are two main
considerations when buying sunglasses: protecting your health and how
fashionable they look. When purchasing new sunglasses always make
certain that they meet
both of these criteria or you probably are making a big mistake in
getting a pair of glasses that
you most likely won’t be wearing much. If they are left in a drawer and
gather dust you’ve just
wasted your money.
It is important, no matter who
you are, to carefully choose sunglasses
based on both of these
criteria.
In terms of health, you need to select sunglasses that will protect
your eyes while providing
clear vision in all outdoor situations. Never compromise lens tint and
decreased contrast for less
visual clarity and distortion of color. This means that a good pair of
sunglasses need to guard your
eyes from the glare of the sun by reducing the contrast but not by
overly reducing the field of vision
or visual clarity in the process.
It has been known for many years
that consistent exposure to the sun’s UV rays can be harmful
to your eyes. Especially if you ride then you know the importance of combining motorcycles
and sunglasses. Sunglasses that are polarized should protect you from
these UV rays as well as a
more recently discovered phenomenon known as HEVL or High Energy
Visible Light.
UV and HEVL both are
particularly important when you depend on eye
protection to do your job
or as a part of any outdoor recreational activity. Consider the airline
pilot whose eyes may be
exposed to direct sunlight for the entire duration of a flight. Or the
truck driver who may be driving
west late in the day and looking into the setting sun. Or the
recreational skier or snow-boarder who,
in addition to the normal hazards of sunlight, is also confronted with
the additional hazard of
“snow blindness.” Snow blindness is when bright sunlight is reflected
off the sheer white snow surface
as if by mirrors. In all these situations the people involved know how
important it is to take specific
measures to protect their eyes. Even if you do not do any of the things
listed above, your eye health is
still an issue even if you do not spend that much time in sunlight.
Scientific studies have shown
that when you are constantly using your eyes as part of a concentrated
effort, such as long distance driving in heavy traffic or skiing or
fishing, it takes a tremendous amount
of energy to keep processing the massive amounts of information that
your eyes are receiving from
the environment and sending to your brain. For this reason alone, good
sunglasses will allow your
eyes to do their job better without fatiguing and requiring more energy
to be spent.
Choosing sunglasses that are
right for you does not mean that the sunglasses need to look boring and
dull but they can also be fashionable and accentuate your style.
Sunglasses that can protect your eyes
while still being stylish are readily available from the major fashion
sunglass and designer
manufacturers, including designers such as Oakley, Serengetti, RayBan,
Maui Jim, Wiley, and Bolle
just to name a few. Some of the fashion sunglass designers have also
added features such as built-in
Bluetooth so that you can use your MP3 player or your cell phone
without taking off your sunglasses.
Always make sure the sunglasses
that you select are eye-healthy, fashion-conscious and most
importantly comfortable. With all the many choices that are available
to you today, comfort is
critical to achieving full enjoyment of your polarized sunglasses with
many years of use.
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