The past few days it has been quite warm in the province and the sun is shining brightly. Is it wise to wear sunglasses? The MUMC+ gives tips.
According to ophthalmologist, Dr. Noël Bauer, it is not a necessity: “In practice, a normal dose of sunlight does not hurt so much, because our eyes can cope well with tropical conditions,” writes the Maastricht hospital in a message†
Filter
According to Bauer, the vast majority of UV light is filtered through lenses and the cornea. He does recommend that you wear sunglasses if you are bothered by the bright sunlight.
Also read: Locally over 28 degrees: never so warm on May 18th
Water and snow
In some places, wearing sunglasses is always a good idea. Especially where there is a lot of reflection: “For example, on the water, reflection of the sun’s rays causes an extreme amount of UV radiation. And also in the snow. Due to temporary damage to the cornea of the eyes, people can suffer from snow blindness during a winter sports holiday. But the eyes usually recover from that on their own,” says Bauer.
Damage
Nevertheless, it is always necessary to be careful: in more extreme cases there is a risk that the retina will be damaged, the damage is then irreversible. The ophthalmologist also warns never to look at the sun without proper protection. “For example, you should only view a solar eclipse with a completely black filter for the eyes, because sunglasses then offer insufficient protection!” says Bauer.
Expensive or cheap?
The price of sunglasses usually does not matter that much, according to the ophthalmologist. As long as the glasses fully protect against UV light: “In the case of sunglasses, cheap is not necessarily expensive. Plastic glasses of about twenty euros can do just fine.”