Sports and UV Protection

There are several cutting
-edge contact lenses on the
market with sports and UV
protection. These contact
lenses cut glare and protect the
eyes from harmful ultraviolet
rays. These are like built-in
sunglasses, protecting the sports
enthusiast’s eyes so that he can
keep his eye on the ball and all
of his balls in the air.

UV light contributes to
diseases like cataracts and
ocular tumors. You can also
get a "sunburn" on your eye
(called keratitis), which is very
painful and can cause long-term damage to the cornea.

Skiers should always wear tinted goggles or sports sunglasses, since UV bounces off snow even on cloudy days; sailors, too, need protection from UV reflected off the water.

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Some contact lenses offer extra UV blocking. When wearing them, also wear sunglasses, since these contacts cover only the center part of the eye and can't do anything for uncovered areas. Hats help, too, because they cover the top opening between sunglasses and your face. Specially tinted contact lenses, such as yellow-enhancing soft contacts and tinted RGPs, can do the same thing.

Amber or rose ski goggle lenses enhance the soft grays that mark shadows on a ski slope. Since these shadows indicate ridges or bumps in the surface, skiers "read" them to decide when to turn, so they won't catch an edge and fall.

To address the fact that so many athletes spent many hours out in the sun without adequate protection, both athletes and spectators now can have access to these special contacts with sports and UV protection.