Sunglasses: Looking good is not enough

By Hershel Sarbin and Jim Brown
Golf After 50 Editors

You may be wearing sunglasses on the golf course that do more harm than good. Dark glasses cause the pupils to enlarge, allowing light into the field of vision.

If your glasses don't have proper ultraviolet protection, you may be letting in the sun's harmful rays instead of keeping them out. Increased exposure can lead to cataracts, corneal damage, and macular degeneration.

"Sports sunglasses should also protect against light toxicity and impact injury," says Paul Vinger, M.D., Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Tufts University. "I prefer glasses with a neutral density gray tint. They don't change other color values, they filter all shades evenly, and they reduce potentially toxic bright light."

"Golfers should look for glasses made of polycarbonate," continues Vinger. "Industrial eye protectors are a good choice for golfers and other athletes. They are inexpensive ($5), made of polycarbonate, and filter out harmful rays even if they are not tinted. You can add a comfort tint to the glasses that, in some cases, can improve performance. A slightly amber or yellow lens filters the 'blue hazard' and increases sharpness. Avoid glasses that are tinted blue. The idea is to eliminate blue colors, not transmit them."

Vinger warns golfers that many recognizable brand names offer virtually no protection against impact. "They may provide excellent protection against harmful rays, but the lens can shatter and cause serious damage to the eyes. We saw one person wearing lenses made of glass suffer a lacerated eye just by being hit with a frisbee."

Here are some additional safety suggestions from Dr. Vinger and the American Academy of Ophthalmology:

• Select glasses that carry a PECC (Protective Eyewear Certification Council) seal and ASTM F803 certification.

• Select sunglasses that block ultraviolet (particularly UVB) rays. The ability to block UV light is not related to the darkness of the lens or the cost.

• Ideally, wear sunglasses that wrap all the way around to your temples, so the sun's rays can't enter from the side.

• In addition to your sunglasses, wear a broad-rimmed hat. Don't be fooled by a cloudy day. Ultraviolet rays can pass through haze and thin clouds.

• Even if you wear contacts with UV protection, wear your sunglasses.

In addition to the damage caused by a lifetime of exposure to bright sun, protect your eyes from acute damage caused by single outings on very bright days. Excessive exposure to ultraviolet light reflected off sand, snow, or pavement can damage the cornea. Similar to a sunburn on your skin, corneal ultraviolet injuries are painful, but usually heal quickly.

We try to keep the tone of Golf After 50 columns light and breezy, but with useful information. In this one, we're dead serious. Golfers arguably spend more continuous time in the sun than athletes in any other sport, and it's not too late to start taking better care of your vision during those four-hour rounds.

Contact Jim at golfafter50@mindspring.com. Hershel's email address is hershels@aol.com.

©2003 Hershel Sarbin Associates