Protective eyewear is essential when participating in extreme sports such as surfing and skiing. Many harmful eye conditions are caused by repetitive exposure to UVA and UVB lightwaves.
Many spend countless hours under the warm golden sun enjoying a variety of outdoor sporting activities. A vast majority of those individuals fail to protect their eyes from damaging UV rays. There are several conditions that develop in the eye secondary to longstanding repetitive unprotected exposure to the sunlight. Two common abnormalities include Pinguecula and Pterygium formations. A Pinguecula is a yellowish lump that forms on the inner aspect of the eye. The lump consists of sun-damaged connective tissue that is formed from repeat exposure to UV rays. A Pterygium, also caused from repetitive sun exposure, grows in a horizontal fashion across the eye and can even interfere with vision as it grows over the cornea. While these two conditions can also be related to environments other than outdoor sports, Chronic Actinic Keratopathy is more closely related to excessive UV light exposure such as that reflected from desert, water, and snow. Chronic Actinic Keratopathy is the development of an opaque band that runs horizontally across the eye and also impedes on the cornea. The key to avoid developing these or other conditions is to protect the eyes from UVA and UVB light overexposure.
Having discussed some of the harmful side effects from long term sun exposure we will now discuss ways to prevent sun damage to the eyes. Protective eyewear is one of the, if not the most important, means of protecting your eyes from sun damage. It is not always easy to image being able to keep a set of sunglasses in place when you are participating in extreme water sports such as in surfing. There are however several sunglasses on the market that use straps to keep the glasses in place and are light-weight and comfortable enough to wear during activity. Finding a pair that feels good is important but they also have to provide the essential protection against the harmful UVA and UVB light waves. When shopping for protective sunglasses you need to make sure that the lenses are polarized. A polarized lens changes the direction of the light as it comes into the eye lessening the direct sun exposure. You also want your lenses to protect against both UVA and UVB waves. Finding a frame that wraps around is also imperative to protect against rays coming in from the sides of the glasses.
A brand by the name of SeaSpecs makes a series of glasses that are ideal for extreme outdoor sports. The lenses are polarized, the frames are wrap around, and they protect against both UVA and UVB waves. SeaSpecs also have a strap that secures the glasses on your head and is easily adjustable to fit most men, women, and children. The frames are ventilated to keep the lenses clear and give you optimal visualization at all times. There are also other extreme sport glasses on the market to choose from. The key truly is PREVENTION. Make a habit of wearing protective eyewear during any and all outdoor activities.
In addition to owning her own online surf shop Kimberly Mello is a
certified physician assistant working in the area of orthopedic
surgery. She combines her love of water sports with her knowledge of
sports injuries to provide useful and educational information to all of
her customers.
