Are Polarized Sunglasses Right for You?

Even in sunny San Diego, most of us do not think about sunglasses until stepping outside and having to squint in the bright light. As a result, you may just pick up the first cheap pair you can find. The glasses have a "UV Protection" sticker so they must be good, right? Not necessarily. As you have probably noticed, it is still difficult to see in many pairs of sunglasses because they only seem to tint your surroundings rather than preventing bright light from cutting through. The truth is that there are different levels of UV protection, and many of the cheaper brands only provide the bare minimum amount. If you live in Santee, San Diego, El Cajon, Lakeside, or the surrounding areas, contact our team at Santee Vision Care Center Optometry for quality sunglasses.

Polarized Sunglasses

Only polarized sunglasses provide effective protection against not just UV rays, but sun glare. When it is not filtered, sun glare can distort your color and depth perception, and in some cases, it can blind you temporarily. Whether you have corrective lenses or not, the best protection comes from polarized sunglasses that are specifically prescribed for your eyes from an experienced optometrist.

How Polarized Sunglasses Work

To understand how polarized sunglasses protect your eyes, it is important to go over what sun glare is and how it affects you. Sunlight is reflected toward your eyes both vertically and horizontally, and it is the horizontal light that cuts in and appears as glare. Polarized lenses work by filtering out the horizontal light to reduce glare, while still allowing vertical light to come through, allowing the wearer to see their surroundings clearly. If you are wondering how this filtering occurs, it is a chemical treatment either coated on or embedded within the lenses that prevents horizontal light from getting through to your eyes.

What About UV Protection?

While glare filtration and UV protection are technically two different things, the good news is that the vast majority of polarized sunglasses, especially those prescribed by an optometrist, come with ample UVA and UVB protection. Wearing a pair of these sunglasses is just about the best protection your eyes can get in the bright sun.

Get Your Polarized Sunglasses at Santee Vision Care Center Optometry

At Santee Vision Care Center Optometry, our optometrist helps residents in Santee, San Diego, El Cajon, and Lakeside find protective eyewear. If you wear glasses or contact lenses and are interested in polarized lenses, you can get polarized sunglasses with your prescription or without, if you are planning to wear them over your contacts. Call us today at 619-562-5220 to learn more about polarized lenses or to schedule an appointment with Robert L. Grazian, O.D..