Unregulated sunglasses can seriously damage eye health, especially in children

Best left alone!

SPAIN (Agencies) One in three sunglasses available for purchase in Spain do not meet health controls, says the General Council of Opticians and Optometrists, which is why it recommends buying them at established opticians. "Using non-regulated sunglasses can be more damaging than not using any any protection at all," explains the President of the Council, Juan Carlos Martínez Moral, referring to the amount of radiation the eyes can receive. "If the glasses offer no protection, damaging rays can penetrate more deeply into the eye, thanks to refraction, and be considerably more dangerous." PLEASE BE AWARE THAT ITEMS SUCH AS THIS MAY BE SUBJECT TO SUBSCRIPTION IN THE FUTURE but you can make a donation NOW, too! Please click here for more information on how to help us continue. (This item took almost two hours to research, illustrate and publish)>>>
Exposure to ultra-violet rays is particularly high on the coast and in the mountains, where ocular alterations can be severe. This can result in acute inflammation such as conjunctivitis (pink eye) or that of the cornea (keratitis), as well as degeneration of the surface of the eye, e.g. cataracts, and long term problems that can lead to blindness.

Martínez Moral points out that acquiring sunglasses under the supervision of a professional offering a personalised service, is a guarantee that will go a long way to avoid any of these problems.

He is particularly concerned about fake luxury brands many of which are available at street markets, as are other kinds of sunglasses made without any kind of health control. Young people, he says, are particularly prone to buying cheap glasses of the most damaging kind, where the lenses are made of plastic.

The choice of sunglasses, then, must include thought regarding where and when they are likely to be used as the intensity and sudden changes in light are factors that are important and should be taken into account. In either case, according to Martínez Moral, sunglasses must be used, but these factors will establish the degree of protection needed. So, he adds, it is vital that they are made of organic substances or of glass, but never of any kind of plastic.

Other points to remember: the wrong kind of sunglasses, or not using any at all, tend to make our facial skin wrinkle much earlier than necessary as it is almost inevitable not to frown and close one's eyes when the sun is at its strongest or in sudden changes of light; the right kind are safer when driving for similar reasons, plus they can avoid confusing reflections and make it easier for the pupils to adapt to different conditions. They will also protect, at least partially, against dust and polen and reduce eye dryness.