Forgetting to wear sunglasses

● You might you think your sunnies are no longer needed now that the dark nights are closing in. Not so says O’brien. UV is still an issue on overcast winter days.

● ‘Although the UV count is typically higher on sunnier days, it is important to bear in mind that up to 80% of UV radiation can penetrate cloud, meaning that forgetting to wear sunglasses on an overcast day can still damage your eyes,’ says O’brien.

● ‘That means it’s just as good an idea to pop on a pair of shades on a sunny December morning as it is on a hot July afternoon.’

● But don’t think just because your glasses are dark tinted they offer ultra violet protection. ‘The tint of a sunglasses lens has no effect on UV protection,’ says O’brien.

● ‘While wearing darker lenses means that less light will enter your eye and will help you see better, the same amount of UV is blocked as if you were wearing shades with a lighter tint.’

● And unless your sunglasses are offering good UV coverage, the tint means they will dilate your pupils and allow more UV light in than normal, so it’s potentially worse than going without sunglasses if your glasses aren’t up to scratch.

● The message? Don’t fall for those designer look-alikes, unless you can verify their UV credentials. ‘Look for a CE mark (a European standard of UV protection),’ says O’brien.

● ‘This means they allow a maximum of 5% of UV rays to penetrate.’

● Not all cheap sunglasses are bad news however. Tests reveal that some £3 Primark pairs do the job as well as £300 designer glasses.

● Look for styles that fit close to your face and don’t let light in at the side and if you’re a contacts wearer opt for brands like Acuvue with UV filters included or remember to wear sunglasses with your contact lenses.

● Warning: Your eyes are even more susceptible to burning than your skin. As it’s harder to tell when your eyes are getting burnt than it is when your skin starts turning red, it’s easy to end up doing lasting damage to your eyes without knowing.

● Frequent exposure to UV can lead to the development of eye conditions such as cataracts and AMD which can impair sight and even cause partial or total blindness.

● Indeed, One systematic review published in 2014 of scientific research on the subject found that sunlight exposure to eyes was a key risk factor in the development of AMD.