How sunglasses can be an aid to good health

 As I write this the forecast is set to be mixed with a heatwave predicted for the end of the week?  Do we believe them?   Fingers crossed it'll warm up a bit, this cold snap, with snow and hail has been a real let down.  At least I'll be able to wear my sunglasses and not receive funny looks from folk wondering why I'm wearing them when it's dull.  The answer to that is very vain and very me.  If you wear your sunglasses most of the time, in any light, you're less likely to squint and squinting repeatedly might give you more wrinkles...I'm that shallow!!  Any how, this leads me  to a tabloid sensation  headline..

HOW SUNGLASSES SAVED MY LIFE

Well not perhaps my life but some of my sight.  Harking back to my sight test the other week (and no I still haven't had the prescription in), when I was tested macula degeneration I was cheerfully told that my retina was totally clear and asked if I wore sunglasses alot (see I'm a genius as well as vain) as my wearing them was obviously offering me protection.

What started off in my goth days as way to look even more fabulous and then as a tool to hide I had no eyeliner on on lazy days had all this time been protecting me from going blind!!

The macula is the part of the retina where rays of light(Madonna!) are focused.  It is no bigger than a grain of rice and is responsible for our central vision, what we see in front of us.  As some of get older it can degenerate, more often in women than men. This condition is called age related macula degeneration, AMD.

Someone with AMD gradually loses the ability to see things straight in front of them ,though peripheral vision remains, meaning not total blindness will occur, fine details cannot be seen, faces against a background cannot be determined.  No cure is available at present though vision aids such as a magnifying glass,large print books etc may help a bit

Evidence shows that eating lots of leafy green veg, stopping smoking, moderating alcohol consumption, achieving a healthy weight can all help protect us from getting AMD, as well as wearing a pair of humble UV absorbing sunglasses if outside for long periods of time.  Being a goth did have some health benefits afterall!

Til next week