Jennifer S., an avid skier, asked us the following question at her recent eye health appointment at our Optometry Practice:
Question: How do I protect my eyes while skiing during the winter months?
Answer:
The greatest damage to eyes in the wintertime is Ultraviolet Light, particularly UV type ‘A’. Exposure to UV-A over time can lead to premature cataracts. Damage to the eye’s lens is cumulative and builds up quickly if one does not protect the eyes from this particular radiation. Also, glare from sunlight reflecting off the snow can be both blinding and damaging to the eyes.
Your best protection is to wear ONLY 100% UV-A Block Sunglasses and Ski Goggles. An objective way to find out about UV blocking is to use an instrument called an Ultraviolet Spectrophotometer (also called a “UV Meter“) which instantly analyzes UV blockage.
Visit our Practice today and have your sunglasses and ski goggles analysed with our UV Meter (Free of Charge) for their true objective, UV-A protection ability. If your eyewear is not UV-A protective, it is doing you more harm than good!
Thanks very much for your good question Jennifer!