Sunglasses Are Crucial to Your Eyes

People wear sunglasses—without or with a prescription—for a variety of reasons. “Shades” connote social coolness, dampen sun glare, and suggest power, prestige and mystique. But sunglasses’ most significant function is to protect eyes from the sun’s extremely harmful UV rays. Repeated exposure to UV radiation without sunglasses that include 100 percent UVA and UVB protection can result in permanent eye damage. 

At the office of Glaucoma Consultants of St. Louis, one of our ophthalmologists will examine your eyes and provide you with excellent treatment—the kind of exceptional attention for which all of them are known. We love building strong and longtime relationships with our patients, and we look forward to meeting you and discussing how we can give you eye care that will help keep them healthy throughout your life. 

Here are some eye diseases connected to constant UV exposure. 

• Skin cancer. The skin that surrounds your eyes is thin and prone to cancer. Nearly 10 percent of skin cancers occur near the eyes. Wraparound sunglasses are the best. 

• Cataracts and glaucoma. Cataracts are cloudy areas on the eye lens. UV rays can also complicate the effects of glaucoma, a serious condition that can lead to blindness. 

• Macular degeneration. The macula (a part of the retina) weakens and worsens the overall condition, perhaps leading to blindness. 

• Pterygium. It’s a growth on the eyeball. It’s usually not serious but can be painful and frustrating. Eye drops, steroids and (in advanced cases) surgery are the most common treatments.

The best treatment is, of course, prevention. You should wear sunglasses with UV protection even when it’s cloudy outside; UV rays can still injure eyes when the sun’s not out. 

At the office of Glaucoma Consultants of St. Louis, our main concern is the health of your eyes. You can feel comfortable and relaxed while receiving the very best in vision care. Be confident that everything in our office is clean, comfortable and thoroughly sterilized. Please call or visit us to schedule an appointment. 

By Glaucoma Consultants of St. Louis

March 29, 2021