A blog about Sunglasses

Good sunglasses are vital for our head pain and eye health

Whether it’s the height of summer or the depths of winter, good sunglasses are a necessity. Not only are they vital to help us avoid headaches and Migraines, but they’re vital to good eye health. Be sure to shop wisely for sunglasses, then remember to wear them!

Sunglasses head pain disorders:

* Bright sunlight and reflected light can be headache and Migraine triggers.
* Migraineurs are often somewhat photophobic even when we don’t have a Migraine.
* When we do have a headache or Migraine, sunglasses are often helpful even under normal, indoor lighting conditions.

Sunglasses and good eye health:

* Good sunglasses block both UVA and UVB rays.
* UV rays have a cumulative effect over the years, and can contribute to eye diseases later including cataracts and macular degeneration.
* If you have any existing eye problem, bright sunlight and/or UV rays can make the problem worse.
* Don’t forget to get good sunglasses for your children. You’re investing in the future of their good vision. When children are too young to get them to wear sunglasses, get them a hat with a brim that will block the sun from their eyes.

What you need to know about choosing sunglasses:

* Invest in good optical grade lenses.
* Be sure they’re coated for UVA and UVB rays. If not, the dark tint will actually make your exposure to the UV rays worse because it allows the pupils to dilate and allow more UV rays to enter the eye.
* Polarized lenses are better because they reduce scattered light, which is what causes glare.

Summary:
Almost everyone with headaches or Migraine disease depends on sunglasses. The question is whether we’re shopping wisely when we buy them. Ophthalmologists are seeing an increase in cataracts at younger ages, and more cases of macular degeneration than every before. Ophthalmologist Scott Strickler told me macular degeneration is a leading cause of blindness, and we’re facing an epidemic of it in the United States. Since the damage from UV rays is cumulative it’s essential to start with putting good sunglasses on kids and teaching them the importance of them as they’re old enough to understand. For those of us already old enough to understand, don’t sacrifice quality to save a few dollars. The quality of sunglasses does count.

Source: About.com

What You Need to Know About Sunglasses
There’s such a huge selection of sunglasses styles, prices and features that sometimes it’s hard to decide which pair is the best. Finding a pair of sunglasses you love is easier if you start thinking about your possible choices now, before you go shopping.

What should you look for in a pair of sunglasses? Three big things: good eye protection, comfort and a fantastic style.

Put UV protection on your must-have list
Your sunglasses must provide protection from ultraviolet radiation, a component of sunlight that contributes to eye disease. The FDA, the government agency that oversees sunglass manufacture and sales in the U.S., recommends you look for sunglasses with lenses that block 99-100% of UVA and UVB radiation. The label should read either UV 400 or 100% UV protection.

Some area heavier than others and some types are more durable. Three materials are commonly used for sunglass lenses:

* Polycarbonate, a durable lightweight plastic.

* CR-39, a plastic used mostly in prescription-grade lenses.

* Glass, durable but much heavier to wear.

Sunglass lens tints and other coatings
UV filtering is one coating that’s applied to sunglass lenses, but there are many others:

Sunglass Lens Tints
Colors are applied to sunglass lenses to help absorb light as it passes through them. The color you choose is a matter of personal taste, but there are a few important color-related benefits to consider.

* Gray lens tints reduce brightness, but do not distort color.

* Brown and amber tints reduce glare, including the glare created by the blue frequency in sunlight, which can make things appear hazy. Brown and amber tints distort colors more than gray tints do.

* Yellow lens tints reduce the haze from blue light better than browns, so they really sharpen up the view, but they cause more color distortion.

* Green tinted lenses reduce glare and help filter out some of the blue light. They provide good contrast between objects.

* Rose colored lenses might be a good choice if you participate in water sports or other outdoor activities, because they provide good contrast for objects viewed against blue or green backgrounds.

Should you buy sunglasses with polarized lenses?

Polarizing films applied to lenses help reduce the glare created when light bounces off of some objects, such as water, highways and other similar surfaces. I prefer polarized lenses, but it’s a personal choice.

Watch for sunglasses with lens scratch resistance

A thin coating can be applied to lenses to make them more resistant to scratches. Plastic lenses scratch more easily than glass lenses.

Sunglasses with mirrored lenses

You’ve seen sunglasses with a mirror finish on the outside of the lenses. They’re popular, but mirrored lenses scratch easily because the mirror finish is applied last.

Sunglasses with photochromatic lenses

Photochromatic (or photochromic) lenses become darker when exposed to UV radiation. The shift happens quickly as your surroundings change from bright to dim.

Buying sunglasses with anti-reflective coatings

Anti-reflective coatings reduce the reflection caused by light that hits the back side of lenses, keeping it from bouncing into your eyes.

Sunglass frame components
Sunglass frames are made from plastic, base metals, titanium, aluminum and many other materials. Try on lots of frame types to compare their weight and to find out which ones feel the best.

Children need sunglasses, too
Children need protection from UV radiation and glare, so take care when buying sunglasses for them. Forget about those flimsy little play sunglasses–get them something that will protect their eyes.

Sunglasses with extra eye protection

* Sunglass lenses that wrap around to your temples keep out more light and UV radiation than typical lenses.

* Toss on a wide brimmed hat for more protection from the sun. It’ll help keep your skin healthy and younger looking.

Experts tell us that less squinting equals fewer wrinkles. Protect those eyes now!

Choose sunglasses that suit your style
Sunglass styles change every year, just like every other fashion, but the selections are so varied that no pair will ever really go “out” of style. And since sunglasses don’t have to be expensive to be effective, you don’t have to spend a fortune to develop a nice collection.

Designer and specialty sunglasses, like the kinds used for sports, cost more than most sunglasses, but you’ll find all kinds of fashion glasses for sale at affordable prices. Watch the UV ratings carefully and you’ll be fine.

Unless you already know which frame shapes look good on you, go shopping and try on as many styles as possible. If you can get permission to walk outside with glasses on, do it, so that you can find out how they actually work in the sunlight.

Source: About.com

Clip-On Sunglasses are really great if you wear prescription eyewear and don’t want to bother with prescription sunglasses. That switching between pairs can really be a hassle. And expensive too. An inexpensive way to wear adequate eyewear protection without ignoring prescription needs is to invest in the clip-on’s. They are handy and just clip to your sunglasses and even come in polarized styles. So you are never without sun protection, be sure to invest in a few pairs!

Chopper Sunglasses are a line of sunglasses which have evolved as a favorite in the biker subculture. Those who love the open road typically love this line of eyewear. They like the sleekness and the lightweight style and the revo look lenses. They also can’t resist the flame work on the side of the frames of the glasses. The three styles that we have reflect three different looks and personalities but they are sure all to be really appreciated and snapped up by customers from all walks of life. Check ‘em out!

Metal Sunglasses are always a popular choice with both me and women. They are versatile and can go with any outfit basically. The choices that we have are simple - thin metal outlining frames - and then there are other choices. The other choices are comprised of more intricate metals and styles. You’ll love the selection which all pairs run for $19.94. Not bad for actual quality-looking eyewear. Check them out and all your favorite brand names in Replica Sunglasses.

You can hit the road in style this season with one of our many great pairs of Driving Lenses that we have to offer. The pairs that we have in our stock are sharp looking, unisex styles which will help you to keep your eyes clear of the visual obstructions caused by the sun, and look good in the process. These glasses are lightweight as well and fit comfortably. Nothing worse than your eyes being bothered while driving. No more! We can help!

In our stock we have gorgeous looking Replica Fendi Sunglasses. These sunglasses are hot looking and beautiful and for the woman who wants to protect her eyes in style. They are oversized in great looking colors with beautiful lenses and intricate details on the frames. The eyewear versions that we stock look really sweet and are very reasonably priced when it comes to quality eyewear. People will stop to notice your incredible shades, and the eyes behind them.

MANCHESTER, England, Oct. 23, 2007 — Goldfish have a natural advantage in sensing the proximity of their meals: Individual light-sensitive cells in their retinas are able to detect polarized light, acting much like Polaroid sunglasses.

This type of polarized vision improves visual contrast and can help an animal catch its prey more easily, said Nicholas Roberts of Manchester University’s Photon Science Institute and its School of Physics and Astronomy. His research is the first direct experimental evidence of a polarization detection mechanism in any normal vertebrate eye. The research team believes that discovering how single cells work as polarization detectors may lead to new developments in man-made microscopic detection or information display technologies.

“Vision is the primary sense of many animals, and the way they see their world is of fundamental importance to understanding aspects of their behavior,” Roberts said. “Numerous animals have amazing visual abilities, which allow them to see the world in very different ways.”

One such ability is polarization vision. “Just as fishermen wear Polaroid sunglasses to help improve contrast, many different animals - including fish - have evolved to do the very same thing without the need of sunglasses. It is a surprisingly common ability throughout the animal kingdom,” he said.

For the study, Roberts used “laser tweezers” to manipulate the cells in three dimensions. This meant that for the first time, the absorption of single photoreceptors could be studied in the same orientation in which they are in the retina. He stressed that the team has so far only investigated one of the three-color channels known to play a role in polarization vision.

“This is just the first step in understanding the full mechanism that allows vertebrates to see polarized light, but we see these initial results as extremely encouraging,” he said. “We are now examining in much greater detail the underlying biochemical properties that make only some photoreceptor cells polarization detectors.”

The real challenge, he said, is building an integrated picture of vertebrate vision. “We are aiming to discover how both the biochemical and biophysical aspects of visual cell function link to the way polarization information is first analyzed, processed and then relayed to the brain.”

The paper, “A Mechanism of Polarized Light Sensitivity in Cone Photoreceptors of the Goldfish Carassius auratus,” is in the November 2007 Biophysics Journal (volume 93).
For more information, visit: www.eps.manchester.ac.uk

Source: Fish Don’t Need Sunglasses

Sunglasses are the new must-have fashion accessory and are replacing handbags in the popularity stakes according to reports today.

Many designers are expanding their accessories ranges to include shades and cash in on their growing popularity which now extends all year round.

Pucci, Jimmy Choo, Balenciaga and Tiffany are just a few of the big names that are either relaunching or starting to design a range of sunglasses and get a piece of the £270m sunglasses industry that exists a year in the U.K.

Celebrities such as Victoria Beckham, Kate Moss and Nicole Richie have helped make sunglasses an essential accessory well past the summer months. The biggest stars are rarely photographed without a pair of designer specs.

Hannah McInnes, sunglasses buyer for Harvey Nichols, told The Independent: “Sunglasses have become the new handbags because bags have doubled in price during the past few years. So people are using sunglasses as the entry point into the fashion brand they aspire to.”

Just last week Female First reported that Ray Ban are bringing back their famous Aviator sunglasses in time for Christmas proving just how much shades are growing in popularity.

Source: FemaleFirstUK