Information about sunglasses

Ultimately, everyone should care about their vision and want to protect it. However, there are certain groups of individuals that should especially wear sunglasses. This is for their safety, and the safety of others.

Drivers are one very important group that should always have sunglasses handy. Whether you are driving your own vehicle or a bus full of people, the sun can be your enemy. Picture driving westbound down the highway at 6:00 PM, coming up over a hill and being pelted in the face with the sun’s glaring rays. This temporary blinding could cause you not to see the traffic that stopped 50 feet in front of you. Accidents like this can be avoided by always having sunglasses in your vehicle.

Professional drivers have an even greater need for sunglasses than the rest of us. Because they are often driving larger vehicles such as school busses or tanker trucks, their risk is much greater. If these drivers lose control of their vehicle, it is much more difficult to gain control. Again, simply by wearing sunglasses, these drivers can help avoid tragedy.

It is very important that children be taught from an early age to wear sunglasses. By enforcing this from early childhood, you are creating habits they will carry with them. In addition to teaching them that sunglasses are always important, you are protecting very delicate eyes as well. Children, especially the very young, are constantly growing and developing in every way. Protecting their eyes with sunglasses from the start will reduce the damage they will pay for later in life.

Even babies can wear sunglasses. Besides being ridiculously cute, baby sunglasses are made for a reason. Babies are, for all intents and purposes brand new, and so are their eyes. A child begins their life by being able to focus on objects only less than ten inches from their face. A pair of baby sunglasses will keep harmful rays out of your baby’s young, sensitive eyes.

Anyone who spends an uncommonly large amount of time in the sun should know the advantages of sunglasses. If you are particularly interested in water sports and spend a lot of time at the beach or on a lake, you could be at greater risk than most. Surfers, water-skiers and wake boarders can testify that a good pair of protective sunglasses will save a lifetime of hardship. The sun reflecting off of the water into your eyes can intensify the damage it could do.

Find a good pair of water sunglasses, which will wrap around your head and stay in place while you ride the waves.

Elderly individuals are another group of people to whom eye protection should be important. As age progresses, the eyesight deteriorates in even the healthiest of eyes. Older individuals should always wear sunglasses when outside in the sun. Sunglasses won’t stop the vision from going south, but it may slow the process. One thing is certain, blinding sun in the eyes will speed it up the deterioration.

In case you haven’t figured it out yet, ideally everyone should wear sunglasses. There are so many different designs, styles and prices that it is difficult to come up with an excuse for not wearing them. There is simply no benefit to letting your eyes absorb the harmful UVA and UVB rays the sun emits. Be smart and care about your eyes by protecting them with sunglasses whenever you’re outside. You’ll be glad you did.

Different types of glasses are perceived in opposite ways. The lenses that people have to wear to correct their eyesight are not seen as very popular in today’s society. Even though more than fifty percent of people need some sort of correctional lens to bring their eyesight to 20/20, most people will do anything to avoid wearing glasses. Even though the “four eyes” taunt is no longer as prevalent as it used to be, the kids who do not have glasses tend to tease those that do have them regardless. It is hard to be different especially at a very young age.

Many people remember these experiences when they get older and even though glasses are much more widely accepted, these individuals will still do anything they can to avoid wearing them. When soft contact lenses were available for general consumer use in 1971, they became very popular. People no longer had to stick out for having bad vision, they could look like everyone else and not sacrifice their eyesight at the same time! Contact lenses have continually improved in quality and as a result, most people own both a pair of glasses and contacts and wear their contacts whenever they can.

The second type of glasses, sunglasses, has the complete opposite effect of regular glasses. Sunglasses are not only great for sun protection no matter what quality eyesight you have, they are also an important fashion accessory. Many movie stars and sports celebrities wear eye-catching shades that help them hide their image as well as define it. Whether it’s Vogue or Oakley sunglasses, are extremely important to keep your eyes shielded from the dangerous UV rays that can do significant damage to your cornea. Whether you are sunbathing at the beach or driving to work, you should always be sporting some high quality shades.

Unlike prescription glasses, sunglasses are considered extremely fashionable. Just as a particular brand is popular that year for shoes and another is popular for jeans, different brands are in the running for that year’s most sought after sunglasses. Make a fashion statement when you walk out wearing a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses or the latest design shades from D&G. Either way, sunglasses are a must-have item no matter what season it is!

Prescription glasses wearers can even enjoyed stylish sunglasses even if they do not want to switch over to contact lenses. Many companies have developed prescription sunglasses so you can enjoy great looking sunglasses without giving up your vision!

If you think you know all about your sunglasses, think again! Here are some facts that might be of your interest.

Origin of sunglasses can be dated back to ancient times in China and Rom.The mighty Emperor of Rome, Nero, loved to watch gladiator fights through the most primitive form of sunglasses-polished gems.

Around the 1300s, the Judges in China wore smoky quartz lenses to conceal the expression on their faces. However, these glasses were pretty much rudimentary. They only managed to perhaps reduce glare but were not sophisticated enough to correct vision or provide protection from harmful UV rays.

A more advanced version of sunglasses was introduced into china by the Italians in the 1400s. Thus, remained the developments in making of sunglasses till about the 18th century. Changes occurred thanks to a man named James Ayscough. Ayscough seemed to be absolutely certain, that blue or even green tinted glasses could probably solve specific vision problems. It was him therefore, who started with the whole idea of colored lenses. Surprisingly enough, shading the eyes from the sun’s cruel rays wasn’t a part of Ayscough’s agenda!

The sunglasses as we know it came into existence round about 20th century when Sam Foster, founder of the Foster Grant Company, sold the first pair of Froster Grant sunglasses in New Jersey!

In present times, we know of some of the household names in Designer Sunglasses! There are brands like Ray Ban or Oakley which have come up in the market on their own. Then too, certain brands like Gucci, Versace etc, which had started off as subsidiary units to big Fashion House Brands, are now some of the most popular trade names!

There is not a single celebrity out there who doesn’t know what the importance of Sunglasses is! They use it for the simplest of reasons-be it to conceal the stress that shows in their eyes or the result of a night long party, or even to hide their celeb status when they are trying to mingle in with the crowd! A pair of trendy shades is simply a must have!

They say a fashion never stays for long. But you just can’t say the same for sunglasses. It’s a trendsetter that’s here to stay. Celebrities are always abreast with the latest style of fashionable eye wear. For a lot of us, observing the changing trends of our favorite celebrities is a beloved pastime. Lately it can be noticed that Sunglasses with big lenses are a big hit with the women. All thanks to Jackie O!

All renowned Fashion houses are constantly on the run to come up with the most stylish pair of shades. Over a period of years, there have been plenty of alterations, and each new fashion adds an improved, stylish look to the sunglasses. The fad that is in vogue right now is glasses that have designs on the frame. Of course, it would be wrong to be under the misconception that the designer Sunglasses give any better protection to your eyes than normal ones do. The only reason we prefer them is due to the charm of a sophisticated brand name. Better the brand, higher the price!

However, Designer shades are undoubtedly cool, chic and attractive! It is a joy to be flaunting your very stylish pair of branded shades. In a world of high flying fashion, it’s okay really to spend a huge amount and invest in a style statement-unless of course you hit upon a very artistic fake!

Polarized sunglasses are a popular option for eye protection. Learn more about polarizedsunglasses in this free video. Expert: Stefan Czelusta Bio: Stefan Czelusta is the office manager at Texas State Optical in Austin, Texas, and has worked in optics for more than nine years. Filmmaker: Drew Noah

Roman Emperor Nero “made” the first sunglasses by watching gladiator competitions through polished light emerald green gems held up to his eyes. The true invention of sunglasses was somewhere between 1268 and 1289.

Around the twelfth century and before 1430, sunglasses were worn by Judges in the Courts of China. The smoky quartz, flat-glassed panes were not used as protection from the sun. They were used to conceal any expression in their eyes to keep from giving away the outcome of their decisions. Prescription sunglasses were developed in Italy in 1430 and were later used by the Chinese Judges.

By the 1600’s people began to realize the benefits of prescription glasses as helping the elderly to see better and the motto “A Blessing to the Aged” came into being in 1629.

In the mid 18th Century, James Ayscough developed blue and green corrective lenses which began the use of sunglasses for correcting optical impairments.

The development of glasses and sunglasses evolved. Problems in keeping eyeglasses propped on the nose led to experiments. Glasses frames had been made from leather, bones and metal and were propped on the nose. Sidepieces began as silk strips of ribbon that looped around the ears. Instead of loops, the Chinese added ceramic weights to the ends of the ribbons. Solid sidepieces were invented by Edward Scarlett in 1730. Benjamen Franklin’s invention of bifocal lenses followed in 1780.

By the 20th Century, sunglasses were used to protect the eyes from the sun. In 1929 Sam Foster began selling his protective sunglasses at Woolworth stores on the boardwalk at the beaches in Atlantic City and New Jersey. His Foster Grants were the first mass-produced sunglasses and they began the trend of sunglasses for fashion.

In the 1930’s the Army Air Corps asked Bausch & Lomb to develop sunglasses that would efficiently reduce high-altitude sun glare for pilots. Bausch & Lomb came up with sunglasses that had a dark green tint that absorbed light through the yellow spectrum.

Edward H. Land had invented the Polaroid filter and by 1936 he was using it in the making of sunglasses and soon, sunglasses became “cool.” Movies stars began wearing sunglasses as a statement and to hide behind. Aviator glasses became popular with the movie stars and the general public in 1937 after Ray Ban developed the anti-glare sunglasses using polarization. The longer lens was created to give more protection to pilots’ eyes from the light reflecting off their control panels.

By the 1970’s Hollywood stars and fashion designers made a huge impact on the sunglasses market. Clothing designers and stars put their names on glasses and sunglasses and everyone had to have them.

In 2007, stars are still hiding behind their oversized designer sunglasses, making fashion statements and protecting their eyes from the harmful effects of the Ultra Violet (UV) rays of the sun. With modern technology and improvements, the making of sunglasses continues to evolve. We have gone from holding green gems up to our eyes to watch Gladiator sports to Oakley’s 2004 sunglasses with digital audio players built in. What’s next?