They are an accessory. Something that many people just use to spruce up their outfit, but their most important purpose it to protect your eyes. Sunglasses are a very underestimated tool that can help protect you from not only the sun’s UVA and UVB rays, but many other elements that we deal with year round. Dr. David Boothe, an Opthamologist with Covenant Health Partners, explains.
“Sunglasses are probably your best option for any UV situation…In snowy areas or near the water, not only do you get the incident rays, but you get the reflective rays.”
Your shades also protect you from another element that impacts all of us in West Texas almost daily – sand and dirt.
“Any time you are around any potentially high speed foreign body, weed eating, cutting the grass, you name it, anything that could generate a high speed foreign body, some type of physical protection over the eye is necessary.”
Whether you are protecting your eyes from the West Texas dirt, sun, or the double dose of rays while hanging out at Buffalo Springs Lake, there is one important thing to remember when picking out those shades.
“It is not the color, it’s not the expense, none of that has to do with what we are trying to accomplish. What we are interested in is UV 400 blocking. If it doesn’t say that on the sunglass, whether you spent 1000 dollars or 10, you’re not doing yourself any good.”
Another reminder for folks is that clouds do not protect you from the sun’s harmful rays so make sure to stay sun safe throughout the year, rain or shine.
