Protection From Winter Sun When faced with a hot, sunny day at the beach, most of us recognize the need for sunglasses and sunscreen. When faced with the same kind of day at work, most workers also recognize they need protection from the sun's harmful rays. But what about winter sun? How many people consider winter sun to be harmful? Unfortunately, few take precautions necessary to ensure their protection from the winter sun. Like sunshine in the summer, winter sunshine contains two types of radiation that are dangerous to you: ultraviolet-A and ultraviolet-B. You require protection from both.
Here are some tips that will protect you from the winter sun's radiation.
- Wear Sunglasses! When it comes to your eyes, the winter sun can be blinding – literally. Overexposure to ultraviolet rays can damage the retina which contains photo-sensitive cells in the back of the eye that allow you to see.
- Winter sun reflecting off snow is more blinding than summer sun reflecting off water. If bright enough, it can easily cause a temporary, but very painful condition called snow blindness. Snow blindness occurs when the surface of the eye is sunburned. Other types of eye damage have been linked to overexposure such as growths, cancers, and cataracts.
- Dark lenses alone do not ensure protection from the sun. You need to protect your eyes from ultraviolet radiation, not just the sun's brightness. If the lenses are extremely dark, but lack proper protection, this will cause even more damage. The damage occurs when the pupils of your eyes open wider to accept more light and allow more harmful rays to reach the retina.
- If you wear regular eyeglasses or contacts, you should talk to your eye doctor about the right kind of eye protection for you.
