The eyes and the sun are often not the best friends. Looking at bright sunlight is usually not pleasant to the eyes, but it varies from person to person in how unpleasant this feeling is. This has to do with the color of the eyes.
Sun damage
In 2022, sunglasses are often worn as a fashion accessory, but primarily these glasses are of course to protect the eyes from the sun’s rays. After all, the harsh ultraviolet rays of the sun are not only harmful to the skin, but also to the eyes. Good sunglasses lenses help protect your eyes from this.
Read also: Blue, brown, green and everything in between: how is eye color determined?
purifier
Every pair of eyes benefits from a good pair of sunglasses, but for those with light eyes, a good pair is more important. That’s because blue or green eyes are often more sensitive to light than dark eyes. What about that? This has to do with the amount of pigment (melanin). If the iris is light, there is less pigment than if the iris is dark. This pigment protects the retina from the sun, as it were, so dark eyes are usually less sensitive to the sun than light eyes.
The retina, sometimes called the retina, is a thin layer in the eye that is very sensitive to light. Light entering the eye through this membrane is converted by cells in the retina into images and then into electrical signals. These electrical signals then travel through the optic nerve to the brain, where the image we see is eventually formed.
help your eyes
Therefore the retina is a very important part of the eye and therefore it is important to keep it in good condition. Protecting the eyes from bright sunlight, whatever the color of your eyes, is one way to do this. This prevents, for example, (extra) wear and tear on the retina.
Other parts of your eyes also benefit from sun protection. The cornea, the outer part of the eye that sits in front of the iris and pupil, can be damaged If you look long in bright light. This is painful, your eyes become red, start to water and can tolerate light (worse). Symptoms often go away after one to two days.
(Source: Penn State, Pubmed, Buoy Health, Oogziekenuuis Rotterdam, Thuisarts. Photo: Shutterstock)
