No look is complete without a fabulous pair of sunglasses. From runway shows to paparazzi snapshots of celebrities, sunglasses can be seen everywhere and have now become the ultimate accessory to amp up your style.

Originally invented in the 18th century by English designer and inventor James Ayscough to improve vision, sunglasses have now become a classic garment.

However, if you are one of those people who doesn’t like spending thousands of rupees on sunglasses and prefers to buy whatever looks good from the local shop, then this will be good for you. (Criminal)A new warning on social media might make you reconsider this decision.

Viral alert?

In a viral reel on Instagram, Indian doctor Yokesh Arul is standing at a local store and saying, “These cheap sunglasses will destroy your eyes”. He is standing there at a local store where you can get sunglasses at low prices.

Her caption read, “If you want to buy cheap sunglasses for pictures, that’s totally fine. But don’t go out in the sun wearing them.”

Now, Yokesh wasn’t the only doctor to warn us about cheap sunglasses on Instagram Reels this week.

A few days ago, Dr. Mahyar “Max” Maddahli MD, who also has a huge following on social media, shared a similar reel in which he asked us to avoid buying sunglasses from local stores as it ‘may harm our vision’.

Both doctors cited various reasons for this, including prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation and excessive dilation of the pupils, which can cause cataracts and even solar retinopathy.

But do other experts agree with this?

“Cheap sunglasses are made of low-quality materials, which can pose several risks to your eyes,” says Dr Nusrat Bukhari, ophthalmologist at Apollo Spectra Mumbai.

According to him, cheap sunglasses often lack UV protection, leaving your eyes vulnerable to damage.

She says, “People wear sunglasses to protect their eyes from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, just as sunscreen protects your skin from sun damage. Prolonged exposure to certain wavelengths of light can harm your vision and cause problems like cataracts, photokeratitis, pterygium, and age-related macular degeneration.”

He also said that because people think they are wearing glasses, they stay exposed to the sun longer because they think sunglasses protect their eyes, when in reality they do not.

Dr Pravin Patil, a vitreous retina specialist and partner at Mumbai-based Sri Venkatesh Eye Institute, agrees.

He says cheap glasses may look fashionable and attractive due to their unique designs, but they are often made of poor quality materials and lack UV protection, which can cause serious damage to the eyes over time.

But there is a problem here. Dr Nusrat explains that this ‘prolonged sun exposure’ can damage your eyes or affect your vision only if you ‘work in the sun for a very long time’ and because you rarely go out wearing glasses.

“For people who work primarily outdoors, like naval merchants or fishermen and are exposed to sunlight for long periods of time, wearing cheap glasses can affect their vision because they are exposed to UV rays for a long time. UV rays from the sun are the cause,” she says.

‘Expensive isn’t always better’

There are many things you should keep in mind before buying sunglasses for yourself. But this does not mean that buying the most expensive pair of sunglasses will give you UV protection.

Dr Sanjay Ruparel, Ophthalmologist at Zinova Shalby Hospital, Mumbai says, “When it comes to choosing sunglasses, it does not matter whether the sunglasses are cheap or expensive. The important thing is to check if the sunglasses can provide better protection to your eyes during peak hours when the impact of UV rays is high.”

He said to pay attention to the following factors:

• Lens quality
• Polarization of the lenses (they must be polarized so they don’t irritate your eyes)
• Lens Material
• Frame quality
• Lens color (see appropriate tint)

Dr Nusrat agrees with this. He says that before buying sunglasses, it is important to get complete information about sunglasses to make a wise choice. Here are some tips that you can keep in mind:

• Check if it offers UV protection. Look for a label around the sunglasses that says 100 percent UV protection or UV400. The UV content of sunglasses can be measured by a lensometer which is available at any eye clinic or optical shop.
• If there is no label, the authenticity of the sunglasses may be questionable.
• The next step is to test the lenses. If the lenses scratch easily or seem weak, they may be of low quality.

“sunglasses [that] “People who pay more attention to trends and fashion statements and less attention to eye safety often end up with imperfections like wrap-around lenses and differently shaped lenses, which may be hard to spot at first, and start causing problems when you wear them for many hours,” says Dr Nusrat.

Some eye care tips

Dr. Patil gives some tips that you can save for later to maintain healthy vision.

Regular eye tests

Get a comprehensive eye exam from an optometrist or ophthalmologist to check for conditions like cataracts and glaucoma. Regular checkups can help detect vision problems and eye diseases early.

Proper lighting

Make sure your work and study area is well-lit to reduce eye strain. Adjust lighting to avoid glare from screens and use an anti-glare filter if necessary.

Follow the famous 20-20-20 rule

To reduce eye strain from prolonged screen use, look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds every 20 minutes. This helps relax the eye muscles.

Healthy Diet

Eat a diet rich in vitamins and nutrients that promote eye health. This includes foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zinc, and vitamins C and E, such as leafy vegetables, fish, nuts, and citrus fruits.

Ground Level

• Poor quality lenses in sunglasses can put strain on your eyes, often leading to severe headaches or vision distortion after prolonged use.
• Although this is not the only factor that can cause cataracts or other vision problems, it is still important to take precautions.
• To avoid these problems and protect your eye health, it is essential to invest in high-quality sunglasses that provide 100 percent UV protection.