Sunglasses’ primary purpose is to block harmful UVA and UVB rays, damaging the eyes’ retina and causing severe vision damage.

Harmful effects of Sunlight in Winter

The amount of ultraviolet rays reaching the earth in summer is three times more than in winter. But it doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t pay attention to it. The consequences of the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation, for example, include macular degeneration of the retina and clouding of the lens, which in the future can lead to the development of cataracts. Ultraviolet rays freely penetrate the ground in any weather. That is, even on cloudy days, the eyes are exposed to ultraviolet radiation.

On a sunny winter day, the rays are reflected from the snow and can cause double harm to the eyes: this leads to ophthalmia, snow blindness caused by a burn of the conjunctiva. It is almost impossible in the city to get such a burn, but it is easy in the mountains. This is why it is very important to have quality sunglasses on hand when traveling to ski resorts.

But even in urban conditions, sun-protection optics should be used. And even cloudy weather is not a reason to refuse glasses – in such a case; you should have a model with a low (1-2) degree of lens shading.

You will find information on the degree of shading on the temples, usually in Cat.1 format.

To reduce the negative effect of these ultraviolet rays (sun rays) on our eyes, it is necessary to wear glasses and pay attention to the warnings of experts

What should be considered when choosing sunglasses?

• Good sunglasses; should be able to filter harmful ultraviolet rays while reducing the visible light to a level that does not disturb the eye.
• There is no relationship between the darkness of the lenses’ color and their ability to filter out ultraviolet rays.
• The most important point when purchasing glasses is their protection against ultraviolet rays. While most good quality sunglasses filter out more than 95 percent of ultraviolet rays (UVA and UVB), this rate can also be 99 percent or higher.
• A large amount of light is also reflected in our environment. For this reason, it is healthier to wear sunglasses with closed sides and covering the face. 
• In addition to filtering ultraviolet rays, sunglasses with polarized lenses have the feature of providing a higher quality vision by preventing light glare on flat surfaces such as roads. However, since the screen image may disappear when viewed from a certain angle with polarized glasses, drivers with such indicators in their vehicles should be careful.
• Most contact lenses can filter ultraviolet, but lenses cannot prevent the eyelids from being affected by rays. For this reason, contact lens users should also wear sunglasses.

The sunglasses protect your eyes from the wind, which is essential at any time of the year. The wind not only causes watery eyes but can also bring dust into the eyes, which can provoke inflammation.