Eyes Protection - Made for the Shade

Cataracts are caused by ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure, and new studies have found that light at the blue end of the spectrum can damage the retina and possibly lead to age-related macular degeneration.

Protecting your eyes from the sun is as simple as slipping on a pair of shades. UV-protected sunglasses will block out up to 90 per cent of visible light and 100 per cent of UV rays. Ensuring kids wear sunglasses is doubly important because their pupils dilate more than adults, allowing in more harmful rays.

Some pointers when buying shades:

• Non-UV protective sunglasses could be worse than none at all because they fool the pupil into not constricting, letting in more UV rays.

• Wraparound shades prevent light from getting into your eyes from the side.

• Expensive glasses do not necessarily offer more protection – always look for a 100 per cent UV certificate.