Sunglasses Rival Lotions as Vital for Safety

We have all been taught to slop on sunscreen, slip on a shirt and slap on a hat  to protect our skin from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays. But not adding a pair of good sunglasses to the ensemble still leaves people at risk, eye doctors say.

Ultraviolet, or UV, rays can cause significant damage to unprotected eyes, resulting in a number of illnesses and disorders that can rob people of their sight.

Long-term UV exposure can do cumulative eye damage over time, causing quite insidious and dangerous threats to a person's vision, including:

Pterygium. An abnormal growth of the conjunctiva caused by sun damage that can become so large it grows over and obstructs the cornea, partially blocking vision. Surgery may be required to restore vision. "The bad ones have a tendency to come back, even after they're removed surgically."

Cataracts. These involve clouding of the eye's lens. Ultraviolet rays are believed to play a part in the process.

Macular degeneration. UV rays that penetrate deep into the eyeball are believed to do damage to the retina, the sheet of nerves along the back wall of the eye that perceive light. The macula, at the center of the retina, is responsible for perception of fine details and a person's central field of vision.

Cancer. People can develop skin cancer of the eyes as a result of UV damage, according to the WHO. The eye tends to develop melanoma, while the eyelids usually are inflicted with basal cell carcinoma. In both cases, surgery may be necessary. Of course, such damage doesn't occur just in the summer, or even just when you're standing in sunshine. Bright reflected sunlight from sidewalks, aluminum, snow and other surfaces can cause UV damage just as easily as direct sunlight.

The best way to protect yourself is sunglasses. It's that simple, the experts say. A wide-brimmed hat wouldn't hurt, but sunglasses are key. The sunglasses should be rated to absorb 99 to 100% of both UV-A and UV-B radiation. Read the labels.

The worst forms of UV-related eye disease come from accumulated damage, making it important to start protecting kids' eyes so they will have a better chance of maintaining their vision in their old age. The bulk of exposure occurs in the first 18 years of life," Martinez said. "The more sun damage you have, the more sensitive you are to later exposure."