Most spectacle wearers shun sun lens option

Over half of spectacle wearers risk eye damage by failing to wear prescription sunglasses, according to a survey carried out on behalf of Glasses Direct.

While 80 per cent of respondents felt that prescription sunglasses were as important as their optical pair, 52 per cent said they did not wear prescription sunglasses.

The survey interviewed 1,000 people and also found that 60 per cent admitted to suffering from a range of detrimental effects, including headaches and poor vision, while out in the sun without sunglasses.

'Lack of eye protection is very concerning,' commented Anthony Newland, dispensing optician at Glasses Direct. 'Over-exposure to UV light without proper eye protection can lead to long-term eye health problems, and glasses wearers are more prone to damaging their eyes than those who don't need corrective eyewear. Wearing prescription sunglasses means that you're not only protecting your eyes from UV rays, but won't risk worsening your eyesight by looking directly at the sun or straining to see in bright light.'