Sunglasses have come a long way from just simple tinted glasses. Today we have polarised sunglasses which help provide even better protection from the sun’s rays. Sunglasses are now rated as to how much protection from the ultra violet light the glasses will give. These UV ratings are rated differently depending on what country a person is in. The lower the UV code is the lower the protection you get for your eyes.
People wear sunglasses for many different reasons. Many people find that normal sunlight is far too bright and not wearing polarised sunglasses can cause what is termed as burnt eyes. This burnt eyes affect will cause red eye or blood shot eyes, and will make a person’s eyes feel tired and weak. It is somewhat uncomfortable, and people tend to rub their eyes, which is not a recommended thing to do, as this could cause other eye troubles.
Airline pilots wear polarised sunglasses to reflect the light from the reflection of the sun on the metal of the airplane. The sun could also reflect off of the clouds and cause burnt eyes. However, people from all sorts of life wear them for many different reasons. Famous people wear them to hide their faces and to help change their look. They also help performers from being blinded by the overhead stage lights which can be hot as well as bright. People wear sunglasses to hide their eyes from others in cases such as pink eye or to hide a black eye. They are also used to help hide dilated or contracted pupils, as a small amount of light may cause some slight pain and discomfort. Blind people wear polarised sunglasses to hide their abnormal eye appearance from the public. Still many people wear them as a fashion statement or to just simply look “cool”.
Some polarised sunglasses have to be specially prescribed by an eye doctor which uses corrective tinted and polarised lenses. There are special polarised sunglasses made especially for swimmers, such as surfers and whitewater sports glasses. Water sunglasses will be able to float, as regular sunglasses will usually sink to the bottom of the water. Some polarised sunglasses for water sports may feature a defogging vent.
Mountain climbing or snow glasses require the highest UV protection that is possible because the sunlight and the ultraviolet radiation are so much more intense at high altitudes. These types of sunglasses will wrap all around the eyes, and are usually lined with leather to keep any light from entering the eyes.
Polarised sunglasses have made their evolution into space. The earth’s atmosphere does filter out much of the ultraviolet rays and the sunlight to an extent; however, in space there is no atmosphere or clouds to filter any type of radiation, so astronauts need to wear them to make up the difference in the filtration of the sun’s rays.