Function or Fashion? What to wear on your eyes when you play.

Athletes wear sunglasses for the way they look as much as for the way they protect. With all the slick frames and interchangeable lens systems now available, it is hard to separate quality from fashion. You should not forget that as an athlete, sunglasses are necessary for keeping your eyes healthy and free from injury.

You may wonder if the sunglasses for specific sports really make a difference. Yes. Sport eyewear in general tend to be safer than regular sunglasses because the lenses and frames are made of polycarbonate, which won't shatter if struck and can give you the benefits of both sunglasses and protective eyewear. Also, certain lens colors can reduce glare and eye strain while they improve visual clarity and enhance details.

In addition to protecting the eyes from flying debris, glasses are an important protection against the damage of UV rays. Ultraviolet radiation has been linked to cataracts, benign growths on the eye's surface, cancer of the eyelids and skin around the eyes, and photokeratitis, (snow blindness) a temporary but painful sunburn of the eye's surface.

While sunglasses don't have to be expensive to offer good protection it is often hard to identify quality lenses. Besides a lack of uniform labeling by manufacturers, many buyers don't know what to look for and high price doesn't always mean high quality. Some inexpensive sunglasses have quality lenses, while some high-priced sunglasses have cheap lenses shoved into expensive frames.

Tips to identify high quality sunglass lenses:

• They block 99 to 100 percent of UV-A and UV-B
• They screen out 75 to 90 percent of visible light
• They match perfectly in color and absorption and are free of distortion and imperfection.
• Optimal lens colors are gray, which does not modify colors, green or brown
• Wrap-around frames provide added UV protection for bright environments

Other features of sunglasses can include polarizing lenses, which reflect glare from snow, water and roads and are good for skiers, boaters and cyclists. Photochromic lenses darken or lighten with the amount of light present and may be useful if weather conditions keep changing. Mirror coatings are best for intense glare (snow or water), and wrap-around frames block more glare, wind and debris around the sides of the eyes. Interchangeable lens systems are now quite common and allow you to change lens color to suit changing weather and lighting conditions.

Tips for buying sunglasses

• Don't be fooled by stick-on UV labels on lenses. The American Optometric Association offers a Seal of Acceptance to sunglasses that block 99 to 100 percent of UV radiation. Look for this seal to be sure you are getting the maximum protection. You can also ask your optometrist before making an expensive sunglass purchase.
• To be sure non-photochromic lenses block enough light, try them on in front of a mirror. If you can see your eyes easily through the lenses, the lenses probably aren't dark enough.
• Hold the sunglasses at arm's length; look through them at a straight line in the distance, such as the edge of a door. Slowly move the lens across the line. If the straight edge distorts, sways, curves or moves, the lens has imperfections.
• The bottom line, according to the American Optometric Association, is to look for sunglasses that block 99 - 100 percent of UV-A and UV-B rays and 75 - 90 percent of visible light by looking for the AOA Seal of Acceptance, and select gray because it doesn't modify colors, so you'll see more clearly.