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To fully understand how polarized sunglasses can be a
benefit to you, you first have to look at the
physics behind how polarized lens
work with light. Anyone who goes outdoors
knows that sunlight
is reflected off of many objects. Even children can benefit from wearing sunglasses. But it seems that
flat
surfaces like a newly paved road or a calm, flat lake or a snow covered hill
appear to generate the
most harmful glare. The light reflected off of these
flat surfaces is generally horizontally polarized. The
fact is that this
horizontally polarized light can be easily blocked by a vertically oriented
polarizing lens.
The bottom-line effect
of using polarized sunglasses is a significant reduction in the damaging and
annoying
glare from the sun which results in clearer vision, less eye strain and reduces
the risk of
permanent eye damage. When you are more relaxed you can better
enjoy the great outdoors.
However, not everyone agrees on the virtues of polarized
lenses. There are some that question the
benefits of polarized lenses on snow covered
surfaces. While some experts claim polarized lenses
reduce glare that is
reflected off snow others argue that the lenses can not provide the necessary
protection for sports such as downhill skiing. They maintain that polarization masks the visual
definition of different features, providing less contrast between, say, ice
patches or moguls, and can
lead to dangerous situations for the skier. Forewarned is forearmed! A little bit of
knowledge is
always like that.
Claims have also been made about ones ability to read liquid
crystal displays (LCDs) while wearing
polarized sunglasses. LCDs are found on the dashboards of some automobile, on ATM banking
machines and in other places such as digital computer screens. When viewed through polarized
lenses at a
certain angle, the LCDs appear invisible as the reflected light is extinguished
and
cancelled out by the polarization process. But by merely tilting your head
to a new viewing angle
LCDs are readily viewable through polarized lens. If you enjoy outdoor sports and are farsighted
then polarized
progressive lenses are just right for you. Or if you are sensitive to changing light
conditions, such as when
entering or leaving a building, then polarized photochromic lenses, are
just
what the doctor ordered.
Whether you spend your time boating or waterskiing, in-line
skating or mountain biking, driving or
jogging, polarized sunglasses are an
excellent choice.
Whether you are an avid sportsman who enjoys biking,
skating, boating, fishing, team sports, tennis,
golf or a gardener or a jogger
or you just like to go for long walks or drives, anyone who goes
outdoors needs
to consider sunglasses, specifically sun polarized glasses.
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