Dan McLean, Consumer Communications Specialist with Transitions Optical

Guest Blogger: Dan McLean oversees all U.S. consumer communications for Transitions Optical, Inc. He lives in Florida, is a triathlete, and spends as much time outdoors as possible.

Last year my wife and I took a trip to Park City, Utah. Born and raised in Florida, I was hoping to hop on a pair of snow skis, like a pair of water skis, and tear down the mountain. Ha! I instead spent my time mastering the bunny slope as children a quarter my size and age fearlessly ripped by. Although tearing down the hills of Deer Valley on fresh powder is different from cruising the beaches of the Gulf, there were some commonalities in the equipment needed and the environment.

For example, the sun can be a sporting buzz kill, especially during the winter. Not only do you have to protect your eyes like you protect your skin from the harmful UV rays, but your run on the slopes can come to a quick end due to a rogue mogul hidden by glare. I wore eyewear with polarized lenses for my winter adventures. Not only did the lenses block the glare off the snow, but they also blocked the UV light from damaging my eyes. 

There’s a belief that on cloudy or overcast days – common for a fresh snowfall – that your eyes aren’t as susceptible to UV damage as on a sunny summer day. This is a myth. UV is present year-round and always a danger, whether it’s winter or summer. What makes winter sports even more dangerous is that 80 percent of UV light is reflected and magnified off the snow, almost doubling your UV exposure. And, like summer sports, winter sport participants are spending hours at a time outdoors exposed to UV rays.

What to look for in your winter eyewear:
Your eyewear is more than a fashion statement – it’s a critical piece of equipment for your sport and your eyes. You want something that is lightweight, comfortable and will protect your eyes from the dangers of the environment, such as kicked-up snow, wind and UV exposure. Make sure your lenses or goggles block 100 percent of UVA and UVB light. Not only are your eyes at risk to long-term UV exposure, but even in the short term your eyes can suffer from photokerititis or, sunburn of the eyes. A second consideration is polarized or color-tinted lenses to reduce glare and enhance contrast, allowing you to see better on the slopes and trails. Other considerations for your lenses include polycarbonate material to keep them from shattering, anti-scratch and anti-fog treatments and, of course, comfort and style, because if you are like me, you may not be able to ski the double black diamond, but you can at least look like you can.

Patti S. is a member of VSP's Ophthalmic Services division.

Real sunglasses are more than just darkly tinted lenses in a cool frame. Although these types of glasses may serve a function in terms of fashion and diminished light transmission, they are not sufficient, in my opinion, to act as genuine protective sunwear.

Truly protective sunwear should, at a minimum, include a tint with ultra-violet [UV] protection. Many materials, (e.g., polycarbonate), naturally absorb harmful UV rays and don’t require an additional coating. Tinted lenses, however, don’t reduce the disturbing affects of glare—they just reduce light transmission.

Polarized lenses do decrease glare and are an indispensable feature I want when buying my own sunglasses. Glare is created when light bounces off a surface. The more reflective a surface, the more glare is produced. A wet road produces more distracting and interfering glare than a dry one, but both surfaces do reflect light. Glare actually interferes with your vision and can obscure images, like children playing in the street or the rear bumper of the car you’re following.

Polarized lenses can be likened to microscopic venetian blinds for your eyes. They actually contain a filter that’s embedded with iodine crystals stretched so that they are oriented in one direction. When rotated correctly prior to insertion into your frame, they reduce visual interference from glare created from light bouncing off horizontal surfaces by preventing those scattered rays from reaching your eyes. Fishermen love them because they allow them to see into the water, not merely the bright reflection off the water.

There are many lens options you can add to polarized lenses, including anti-reflective coatings, variable tints, and a variety of colors. They are also available in almost any multi-focal or single vision design. Polarized lenses are more expensive than simple tinted lenses, but they serve a vital function in terms of your health and comfort as well as your own and others’ safety.