Published: 19 May 2024

Sunglasses are more than just a fashion statement - they’re important protection from the hazards of UV light. If you wear sunglasses mostly for fashion that’s great--just make sure the lenses block UVA and UVB rays. And if you don’t wear sunglasses, it’s time to start. Here are your top 6 reasons for wearing sunglasses: #1--Preventing Skin Cancer One huge way that sunglasses provide a medical benefit is in the prevention of skin cancer on your eyelids. UV light exposure from the sun is one of the strongest risk factors for the development of skin cancers. Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon. About 90 percent of non-melanoma skin cancers are associated with exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Your eyelids, especially the lower eyelids, are also susceptible to UV light and they do develop skin cancers somewhat frequently. Many people who now regularly apply sunscreen to help protect them from UV light often don’t get that sunscreen up to the edge of their eyelids because they know the sunscreen is going to make their eyes sting and burn. Unfortunately, that leaves the eyelids unprotected. You can help fix that by wearing sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays. #2--Decreasing Risk For Eye Disease There is mounting evidence that lifetime exposure to UV light can increase your risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. It also increases your risk of getting growths on the surface of your eye called Pinguecula and Pterygiums. Besides looking unsightly, these growths can interfere with your vision and require surgery to remove them. #3--Preventing Snow Blindness Snow reflects UV light and on a sunny day the glare can be intense enough to cause a burn on your cornea--much like what happens when people are exposed to a bright welding arc. #4--Protection From Wind, Dust, Sand Many times, when you are spending time outdoors and it is windy, you risk wind-blown particles getting into your eyes. Sunglasses help protect you from that exposure. The wind itself can also make your tears evaporate more quickly, causing the surface of your eye to dry out and become irritated, which in turn causes the eye to tear up again. #5--Decreasing Headaches People can get headaches if they are light sensitive and don’t protect their eyes from bright sunlight. You can also bring on a muscle tension headache if you are constantly squinting because the sunlight is too bright. #6--Clearer Vision When Driving We have all experienced an episode of driving, coming around a turn, looking directly into the direction of the setting or rising sun, and having difficulty seeing well enough to drive safely. Having sunglasses on whenever you are driving in sunlight helps to prevent those instances. Just a general reduction in the glare and reflections that sunlight causes will make you a better and more comfortable driver. So it’s time to go out there and find yourself a good pair of sunglasses that you look great in and that protect your health, too. Your eye-care professional can help recommend sunglasses that are right for your needs. Article contributed by Dr. Brian Wnorowski, M.D.

Published: 13 May 2024

The eye holds a unique place in medicine. Your eye doctor can see almost every part of your eye from an exterior view. Other than your skin, almost every other part of your body cannot be fully examined without either entering the body (with a scope) or scanning your body with an imaging device (such as a CAT scan, MRI, or ultrasound). This gives your eye doctor the ability to find many eye problems just by looking in your eye. Even though that makes diagnosing most problems more straightforward than in other medical specialties, there are still many things you can do to get the most out of your eye exams. Here are the top 7 things you can do to get as much as possible out of your exam. 1) Bring your corrective eyewear with you. Have glasses? Bring them. Have separate pairs for distance and reading? Bring them both. Have contacts? Bring them with you and not just the lenses themselves but the lenses prescription, which is on the box they came in. What we most want to know is the brand, the base curve (BC) and the prescription. If you have both contacts and glasses bring BOTH--even if you hate them. Knowing what you like and hate, can help us prescribe something that you will love. 2) Know your family history of eye diseases. There are several eye diseases that run in families. The big ones are glaucoma, macular degeneration, and retinal detachments. If you have a family history of one of these, it may change a doctor’s recommendations for intervention compared to someone without a family history. 3) Know your medical problems. There are several medical problems that correlate with certain diseases of the eye. Diabetes, hypertension, thyroid disease, multiple sclerosis, and autoimmune diseases all correlate with particular eye problems. Knowing your medical history greatly increases the likelihood of more accurately dealing with your eye problem. 4) Know your medications. Several medications are known to produce specific eye problems. Drugs like steroids, Plaquenil, Gleevac, amiodarone, fingolamide, diuretics and Topamax, to name a few, can create problems in your eye. Knowing you are on certain medications may make it much easier for the doctor to arrive at a diagnosis of your eye condition. 5) Be calm and do your best. There are several tests we do that require your participation. The two tests that make people most anxious are the refraction (which determines glasses or contacts prescriptions) and a visual field test (which tests your peripheral vision.) Stay calm and give your best answers. There are no perfect answers. You are not going to get shocked for a wrong answer, so don’t ramp up the anxiety. Just give it your best try. 6) Bring someone with you when possible. There are two reasons for this. One is that it is better to not drive home if you are having your eyes dilated. Many people can do it comfortably, but some can’t. If you are not sure you can drive comfortably with your eyes dilated it is better to have someone with you who can drive home. The second reason is that is always better to have a second pair of ears to hear what the doctor is telling you - especially if the problem is significant. There are many studies that show a person often mishears or misremembers what they have been told, especially if they are anxious. Two pairs of ears are better than one. 7) Write down any questions. It’s very easy to forget to ask something you really wanted to know. You will get your questions answered much better if you have written them down prior to your appointment. Follow these tips and you will have your best experience possible at your next exam. Article contributed by Dr. Brian Wnorowski, M.D.