It’s important to keep your eyes protected from the sun’s harmful rays year round. According to the Louisiana Ophthalmology Association, between 1.6 and 2.4 million Americans sustain sun-related eye injuries each year — 40,000 of whom will be legally blinded by the injury. Overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays can lead to a variety of health problems over time, such as macular degeneration, which is the leading cause of blindness in older adults. Short term exposure to UV rays can also cause corneal sunburn, which can lead to temporary vision loss. To avoid these injuries, protect your eyes with sunglasses that filter out 99 to 100 percent of UV rays.
