Assalamu alaikum, ya nesan!

The Sun’s rays are becoming ever more toxic to our eyes. Ultraviolet light (UV) present in sunlight is the major cause of eye damage, poor vision, and ailments such as cataracts. UV light is especially intense in the tropical belt where our island is situated, and therefore a greater concern for the Saracen that inhabits its blessed shores. We go about their daily lives unaware of the beating that their eyes are receiving, until it is too late. Medical attention for eye ailments is expensive, and sometimes dangerous, and having poor eye sight can impact the quality of your life.

One of the easiest ways to protect your eyes is to wear a pair of sunglasses when you are outdoors. Sunglasses are widely available but they are not all equal. Some of them are mere fashion accessories, and offer little to no protection for the wearer’s eyes. Therefore, when selecting a pair for yourself, look at the labeling for two key features.

The first, is the amount of protection it offers from ultraviolet light. Look for a label that says UV400 or greater, printed on the temple piece (the arm that hooks on to your ear). This indicates, that the lens cuts out 99.9% of UVA and UVB type ultraviolet radiation. Lens that wrap around the eye are preferable because they prevent light from entering through the sides of the sunglasses and bouncing off the lens directly into the eye. This type of reflective radiation is not trivial, and research has found that it contributes considerably to the amount of UV radiation you receive.

Look for a label that says UV400 or greater, printed on the temple piece (the arm that hooks on to your ear). 

Polarized lenses are the next feature you should look for in your sunglasses. These lenses are better than ordinary tinted lens, because they effectively cut out glare without darkening your vision too much. Polarizing lenses is a costly affair, and therefore, a pair of sunglasses that are polarized will cost you roughly twice as much as one that is merely tinted. On first glance tinted sunglasses and polarized sunglasses look the same, however you can find out whether the sunglasses are in fact polarized, by performing the test shown in the video below –



As you can see, holding two polarized lenses in the same orientation to each other, allows light to pass through both of them, so you can see through both the lenses. However, if you turn one of the lenses ninety degrees to the orientation of the other, it completely blocks out the light. If the sun glass does not display this behavior, its merely tinted, and of inferior quality.

On first glance tinted sunglasses and polarized sunglasses look the same, however you can find out whether the sunglasses are in fact polarized, by performing the test

Therefore, while you are on your last-minute Eid shopping, consider buying yourself a pair of good sunglasses. A decent pair should cost you around three thousand Serendib coins. Cheaper ones are available, but many of them do not feature polarized lenses and are merely tinted, but do come with a UV protection coating, so they are better than nothing.

May Allah preserve your vision for decades to come!