Wearing non-UV protected sunglasses can cause anything from mild irritation to early cataracts, warn eye specialists
Wearing non-UV protected sunglasses can cause anything from mild irritation to early cataracts, warn eye specialists
Think twice before you go for a dirt-cheap pair of sunglasses hoping to beat the heat this summer. These sunglasses are in no way going to protect you from the harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. In fact, you may end up doing much more harm to your eye by wearing them, say eye experts.
Dr Vandana Jain, head, Cornea and Refractive Surgery Department at Aditya Jyot Eye Hospital, explained why this is so. "Our pupils regulate the amount of light that enters our eye. When you wear a pair of sunglasses, your pupils dilate due to its dark lens. If the pair does not have UV protection, your eye gets exposed to the harmful radiation."
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Jain added that often, people make the mistake of choosing fashion over utility. "Your are better off wearing no sunglasses at all than wearing cheap ones, because then at least your pupils are not exposed to as much of radiation," she said.
Excessive exposure to UV radiation can cause early cataracts, retinal degeneration, swelling, red or puffy eyes, and partial or even complete intolerance to sunlight.
Priya Mhatre (26), a software professional from Bhandup, admitted that she chose a pair of sunglasses on the basis of its looks. Mhatre realised her mistake when she experienced intense irritation in her eyes for three days. It got so severe thatu00a0 she could not even open her eyes.
"The doctor told me that I needed to wear sunglasses more often as my problem was sunlight-related. She told me not to get the cheap ones as they would be really harmful,"u00a0 said Mhatre.
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