Jason Salkeld May/17th/20

Why protecting your eyes is so important?

If you wanna keep your eye health for long term its a good idea to protect them peepers. If your shredding adventure is outdoors then you really wanna protect them while doing what you love the most. For me its skateboarding and secondly snowboarding. While its a little harder to wear protection while skateboarding; snowboarding is where I make sure I'm always protected because of the harm that comes from the sun itself and ultraviolet rays that bounce off the snow and hit your lookers and could potentially harm them. Personally I have had my eyes sunburnt as a kid snowboarding who refused to wear goggles or sunglasses. I soon realized that if I wanted to prolong my 20/20 vision I ad to protect them. So I started investing into sunglasses and goggles of all different shapes, styles and brands. This does not go only for snowboarding but for any outdoor activity. Protecting your eyes is essential to prolonging the time you have to shred what you love the most.

Let's talk about what can harm your eyes.

There are 2 types of UV rays from the sun they are UV-A and UV-B. Both of them can cause numerous eye problems. UV-A can damage your central vision and the macula which is part of your retina at the back of your eye. UV-B rays are mostly absorbed by your cornea and lens, but the rays that get through can cause extensive damage over time. The sun's UV rays can cause several eye problems including:

Cataracts – The clouding of your eye’s natural lens that focuses the light you see.
Pterygium – A growth on the white of the eye and possibly the cornea that can block vision.
Skin Cancer – Skin cancer that develops around your eyelids is considered an eye problem.
Corneal Sunburn – Also known as photo keratitis, this can cause temporary vision loss and be very painful.
Macular Degeneration – UV rays can cause macular degeneration which is a leading cause of vision loss in older adults.



What can you do to protect your eyes?

The most effective option is wearing sunglasses. Look for a pair that is UV 400 or better which blocks nearly 100% of UV-A and UV-B rays. If you wear perscription glasses, you can get prescription sunglasses custom made which means you have no excuse to not protect your eyes. Wide-brimmed hats are also recommended when you’ll be out in the sun for any length of time.