byAlma Abell

Most have us have gotten used to the sunscreen regime when we are out in the sun for prolonged amounts of time. However not as many of us are aware of the Sunglasses St Paul MN should be wearing even in the dead of winter.

Sun Damage

Just as your skin is damaged by exposure to the sun year after year, your eyes experience the same damage. The sun’s rays can penetrate your lids and cause damage including cataracts. Other effects of the sun can include conjunctival cancer, macular degeneration and benign growths. Another lesser known effect of the sun on your eyes is actual sunburn. Most people do not realize that just as they can get sunburn on their skin they can also get it on the cornea. Signs of corneal sunburn include burning, blurring and light sensitivity.

Sun Damage to Eyelids

When you apply sunscreen it might seem worrisome to apply it near your eyes and rightfully so. Sunscreen is not intended for use in the area of the eyes and should not be used on the lids. Unfortunately this leaves the delicate skin of the eyes open to sun damage and can lead to skin cancer just as it can for the rest of your body. Eyelid cancer accounts for 5 to 10 percent of skin cancers each year. The only protection for your eye lids is sunglasses with UVA/UVB protection.

Protecting your Eyes

In order to ensure your eyes are protected all year round look for the following:

* Ideally goggle style or wrap around sunglasses are recommended. If this is not doable based on style, go for large Jack O Style glasses.* UV protection is an absolute must and you should be looking for sunglasses that provide 90 to 100 percent UV protection. You can look for the American Optometric Society’s seal of approval to be sure and look for both UVA and UVB protection.* Darker is not necessarily better protection so make sure you check for the protection provided.* The easiest on the eyes is gray colored lenses that keep things as true to natural color as possible.* If you wear glasses when purchasing your next pair ask for the lens treatments available to provide UV protection.

Ensuring you are wearing the sunglasses St Paul MN needs year round will help protect your eyes from sun damage.

When you are looking for the latest styles in sunglasses St Paul MN knows Specs Appeal is the place to shop.