Scoping Out Sunglasses You may think we wear sunglasses for
comfort and fashion. But here's another important reason to wear
sunglasses--to protect the health of your eyes. If you spend
long hours in the sun without protection, you increase your
exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays, an invisible form of
radiation from sunlight. Overexposure to UV-A and UV-B radiation
causes damage to the skin and eyes. You can damage the surface
of your eyes in the same way you can get sunburned--with just
one exposure to extremely bright sunlight reflected off sand,
snow, or water. Exposure to sunlight over years can lead to
vision loss from cataracts or macular degeneration. Conditions
that put eyes at risk According to the American Academy of
Ophthalmology (AAO) and the American Optometric Association
(AOA), these are conditions that put the eyes of adults and
children at risk: Surfaces such as snow, sand, water, and
concrete that reflect UV rays. High altitudes or low latitudes.
Exposure to UV rays is higher in the mountains