Experts stress importance of sunglasses amid summer season

With the summer season descending upon New York City, experts say the most important function of sunglasses isn't to make a fashion statement - it's to protect people's eyes from damage.
They say the best bet is to see a professional when trying to find the appropriate pair of sunglasses and to make sure the lenses are UV-protected.
"The dangerous light is the short wave light and that's the one that's going to cause damage to the eye, the lens of the eye and the retina of the eye," says Dr. Elisa De Junco.
John Bonizio, the general manager at Metro Optics Eyewear, says there are three different options for sunglasses to be considered: a polarized gray lens that takes away glare, a transition lens that changes color based on the kind of light coming in and a tinted lens that offers UV protection in the colored lens of one's choice.
Experts say it's important to have your eyes checked by a professional at least once a year regardless of age because of the potential dangers of sun damage.
"Some of the things ultraviolet does to your eyes is, externally, it can cause cancer such as squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma. As an optometrist I look for that," says Dr. De Junco. "The other thing is cataracts. One in four people have cataracts by age 75. It's cumulative and affects all of us."