Polarized sunglasses are the ideal kind of eyewear for protecting the eyes against glare. If that’s the case, then why do some people experience eye pain when wearing them?
There are a few reasons why polarized sunglasses may cause your eyes to hurt. One is that they may be a cheaply made pair of polarized glasses, which are not efficient in reducing glare. Or, the polarized coating may only be designed for use in the outdoors, causing strain when worn indoors.
Understanding how polarized sunglasses work can be key to finding out why they hurt your eyes. Read on below to learn more in detail.
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Do Polarized Sunglasses Hurt Your Eyes?
Polarized sunglasses are effective in reducing the glare from sunlight or indoor light. In doing so, it helps decrease eye strain and pain.
However, some people experience eye pain when wearing them. There are many possible reasons why this can happen.
Poor Quality Polarized Lenses
It must be said that not all pairs of polarized sunglasses are made equally. Some, especially cheap models, are poorly made which means they don’t offer as much protection from glare, UV rays, or blue light as a high-quality pair would.
Low-cost polarized lenses don’t have the technology to filter light efficiently, so harmful light ends up passing through the lens. Additionally, some cheap pairs don’t apply the polarization coating on the lens evenly.
As a result, your eyes may hurt due to added strain and glare.
Designed for Outdoor Use
If you have been wearing polarized sunglasses while indoors or while looking at a screen for extended periods of time, this could be another reason your eyes hurt.
Most polarized lenses are designed for outdoor use, even the coatings used in the sunglasses were meant for blocking out glare from the sun which bounces off the sea, roads, snow, or other similar conditions. Incorrectly using polarized sunglasses in this manner means that not enough light gets through the lenses when worn indoors, causing eye strain and pain.
Wrong Kind of Polarized Lenses
As mentioned earlier, not all kinds of polarized lenses are the same.
While they are designed to do the same job, they do so differently, evidenced by the function of various colors used on polarized lenses. The colors used on polarized lenses are intended to serve a specific purpose; for example, darker tints are intended for use under bright sunlight, while light to medium tints are best suited for everyday use.
Using the incorrect kind of lens for your activity can cause your eyes to hurt.
You May Need Prescription Lenses
If you already struggle with vision problems, or are unaware you do, wearing polarized lenses is not a cure-all.
In fact, wearing polarized sunglasses or any kind of sunglasses for that matter may worsen vision problems because your eyes have to work twice as hard to try and see better. The best solution for this would be to see an ophthalmologist or optometrist to determine if your polarized lenses need to be customized with prescription lenses.
Polarized sunglasses and lenses can also be customized based on the activities you will be using them the most for – this is something you may want to consider when talking to your optometrist.
Conclusion
Polarized sunglasses or any kind of eyewear can cause pain to the eyes for many reasons. The most common reason why your eyes may hurt is using the incorrect pair for the activity or for your eye needs. The sooner you can identify the reason why, the quicker you can address it for your eye health.