What are eyeshields?
Similar to sunglasses eye shields reduce the amount of UV (Ultra Violet) A, B and C and blue light, that enters the eyes. This can help to reduce glare and light sensitivity as well as protecting your eyes from light that can damage the retina. Different tinted lenses can also improve contrast and definition, making your vision more comfortable.
Eye shields are light and easy to wear both in and outdoors and some can be worn over your existing prescription glasses. They are larger than normal glasses and stop light from entering from above and to the sides, the fit of them is important to stop the light coming in from the edges of the frame.
They come in a variety of different shades; amber, green, grey, orange, plum, red, and yellow. Some are also polarised to further reduce glare.
Sunglasses protect you from two things, ultraviolet light and glare from the sun. Sunglasses with a CE mark show that they are made to an agreed European standard. There is also a British standard for sunglasses which should be looked for when buying them - British Standard BS EN ISO 12312-1.
You don’t need to buy a specific brand of glasses for people who are blind or partially sighted. The most important thing to remember is that wraparound sunglasses will help you more than just an off-the-shelf sunglasses frame. The sun isn’t directly in front of you; it’s above and at the side of you too. So if you don’t have wraparound sunglasses, you’re not going to protect your eyes fully from the glare.
One of the biggest misconceptions about protection from sunglasses is that darker lenses will protect your eyes more, but that’s not the case. However, when it comes to the colour of the tint, it’s purely down to your personal preference. There are some eye conditions where specific colours are thought to be better than others, but it really does depend on you.
Shop around and try different colours to see which ones you think help the most. Lenses with yellow tints cut out the blue end of the spectrum, so they’ll enhance contrast and make things look bolder.
Equally, you might find that it’s worth trying a dark grey or dark brown tint to see which one helps you see best. One may cut the glare out more than the other.
Traditional sunglasses for people with sight loss are not very pretty. You might want to go for a sports range. A lot of the ones that cyclists and runners use are ideal because they contour right round the side of your face and won’t let light in from any direction. With sports sunglasses though, you may be restricted to a small range of colour tints so although they look good, they might not actually do the job.
Please also see Do you have any advice on choosing the right eye shields/sunglasses for light sensitivity?
