HEALTH A guide to prescription sunglasses

Keep your eyes in the shade


Áine Higgins

The recent spell of good weather has many spectacle wearers – long and short-sighted alike– looking for prescription sunglasses. 
Why? Because prescription sunglasses are often the best solution when you want clear, comfortable vision outdoors or when you’re driving on a sunny day. They eliminate glare and the need for squinting in bright conditions, which can reduce vision and cause eye strain.
Even if you normally wear contact lenses and non-prescription (plano) sunglasses, there will be times when your contacts dry out or become uncomfortable – especially on the beach, where you battle the effects of sand, sun, wind and water. Prescription sunglasses enable you to be outdoors all day without discomfort or the hassle of dealing with your contacts.

Behind the wheel
If you normally wear prescription eyeglasses, you face a dilemma when driving on sunny days. You can buy ‘clip-on’ sunglasses (or a modern magnetic version of them) for your eyeglasses, but these can scratch your lenses or can be difficult to put on without taking off your glasses – a fiddly operation that should not, for obvious reasons, be attempted when driving.
Another solution is to purchase one pair of prescription eyeglasses that have photochromic lenses – the kind that darken automatically outdoors. The problem here is that these lenses often won’t darken properly inside a vehicle because some of the sun’s UV rays are blocked by your car or truck’s windshield glass.
For convenience and comfort, the best solution for seeing in the sun is prescription sunglasses. For easy access and so you don’t forget them, store them in your car or boat so they’re always there when you need them.

What’s best for you?
Prescription sunglasses are available in a wide variety of lens materials and designs, including high-index plastic and progressive (‘no-line bifocal’) lenses. For boating, fishing and driving, polarised lenses offer better glare protection from light reflecting off water and roadways.
If you plan on wearing your prescription sunglasses when playing sports, working with power tools or engaging in other activities that have the potential of causing eye injuries, choose lightweight lenses made of polycarbonate. Lenses made of these materials are far more impact-resistant than glass or plastic sunglass lenses.
As with regular prescription eyeglasses, there is a huge range of frame styles available for prescription sunglasses, so you can pick frames to suit you. The only style that you won’t find are the severe wraparound styles that some non prescription sunglasses have. However, models with a lesser-curved wraparound style are available
So stay safe enjoy the sunshine but protect your eyes.