Latest news, weather, high school sports for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

MARQUETTE -- Upper Michigan has been treated to a pleasant summer so far, which has lent itself to some beautiful sights.  But as visually impressive as the U.P. can be, you might be doing damage to your eyes in all that sunshine.

The bright summer sun is always a welcome sight in Upper Michigan.  But you could be doing damage to your eyes if you aren't taking proper precautions.

"It's very important to protect the eyes from the sun because the sun's ultraviolet radiation can cause damage to the eye and has long-term effects.  It can cause cataracts and macular degeneration that do affect the health of the eye in later years especially," says optometrist, Dr. Heidi Johnson.
    
Sunglasses should always be a part of your summer wardrobe when heading outside.  For that matter, they're just as important in the winter months.

"Many people think that you need sunglasses only in the summer, but obviously, we know that in the U.P. the snow intensifies the brightness and the whiteness and the ultraviolet light radiation, so we need to protect our eyes all year-round," Johnson adds.
    
Sunglasses need to be UVA-UVB protective, and those that are will be labeled accordingly.
    
But your own eyes shouldn't be the only ones you worry about; it's even more important for kids.

"The biggest thing also that people don't realize is that by age 18, you've had 80 percent of your lifetime sun exposure, so oftentimes we're not realizing that children need to be wearing sunglasses as well," Johnson warns.
    
Though more expensive, they even make specialized frames and lenses for different sports and safety-certifed sunglasses, so you can always keep your eyes protected.  And if you don't go that route, Dr. Johnson says a pair of generic UV-protective shades is better than nothing.