Have you ever wondered just what sunglasses do for your eyes, and how? The science of sunglasses is a little more complex than you might think.

The color of your lenses affects what they do for your eyes:

• Yellow and amber lenses are ideal for outdoor sports, particularly snow sports, as they filter out blue light, which may be harmful to your vision, and they reduce glare off the snow while improving contrast and depth perception.
• Rose and purple lenses increase contrast of objects against a blue or green background, which makes them great for hunting or water sports.
• Black, gray, and green lenses don’t alter the colors you see.
• Polarized lenses contain a special filter that blocks intense, reflected light, which reduces glare and increases visibility.

Cheap sunglasses can be dangerous for your eyes. A cheap pair of sunglasses might look cool and save you from having to squint your way through a sunny day, but you could actually be putting your eyes in more danger by wearing them than you would if you simply went without. What makes inexpensive sunglasses worse than no sunglasses at all is that the dark tint tricks your eyes into lowering their defenses. Because of this, you won’t squint and your pupils will dilate, letting in all those harmful rays that squinting and contracted pupils offer some protection against.

High-quality and prescription sunglasses offer proper UV protection for your eyes. Prescription sunglasses have it, and you can check the labels of non-prescription pairs to make sure they do. Only buy sunglasses that offer 99 to 100 percent UV protection.

If you’d like more information about sunglasses and the protection they offer or would like help choosing the right pair for you, contact Palmetto Eye & Laser Center at 864-583-6381 or palmettoeyeandlaser.com.