Looking after your eyes in the sun

I'm Raj Das-Bhaumik, I'm a consultant ophthalmic surgeon. I specialize in ophthalmic plastic surgery and emergency ophthalmology and I work here at Moorfields Eye Hospital. We don't often think about our eyes, and it's not until something goes wrong that we appreciate what we had it's really important to wear good quality sunglasses. By that I don't mean an expensive design pair but a pair that are safe and effective. You can check how safe they are by looking for the C Mark somewhere on the sunglasses and that tells you that both the frame and the lenses are made to a very high standard and will be ultraviolet protecting. 
Ultraviolet light damage to the eye may not be immediate and obvious. We know that it can build up over time so for example, long-term exposure to ultraviolet light can accelerate the formation of cataracts or tumors around the eyes or the development of a pterygium which is a fleshy mass on the inner corner of the eyes. It's really important to avoid wearing imitation sunglasses because you may be harming your eyes by wearing them. For example, if the imitation lenses are not effective ultraviolet filters and your pupils dilate under the dark glasses then more of these potentially harmful ultraviolet lights may enter the eye leading to damage to the structures of the eye.