As we gear up for summer fun we need to remember that the sun has its vices and we need to protect ourselves and our eyes against its harmful rays.

The weather’s warming up, the sun’s shining and after a long and cold winter, you’re ready for some outdoor summer fun!

With all the health warnings that have been issued over the past few years, you should already be well-aware that aside from its Vitamin D benefits, the sun’s UVA/UVB rays are not only dangerous but can prove to be deadly when they work within your body to cause a wide variety of illnesses, the worst being cancer - including skin and eye cancers.

Just as you need to protect your body by lathering on the sun block, so too should you ensure the protection of your eyes by investing in a high quality pair of sunglasses with built in UVA and UVB protection.

Protecting your eyes goes back to prehistoric times when the Inuits wore flattened walrus ivory type "glasses" to block the sun’s rays, while the first documented lenses against the sun’s glare were discovered in China in the 12th century. However, it was only in the mid 18th century that a man by the name of James Ayscough began trying out the idea of tinted lenses; only to be produced on a big scale in 1929 by Sam Foster who brought mass-produced sunglasses to the beaches of America.

If you regularly wear eyeglasses, then you should invest in a pair of prescription sunglasses and then alternate your eye wear when you are inside and out. If you don’t wear prescription eyeglasses then a regular pair of sunglasses will work just fine. In all cases, be sure to put on your sunglasses as soon as you step outside. If you wear prescription glasses and want a simpler solution, you may consider photochromic lenses - also known as Transitions lenses - which lighten inside and darken outside, depending on UV exposure. This will negate the need for separate prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses.

The experts suggest wearing sunglasses that reflect or filter out 99-100% of UVA and UVB rays, with wavelengths up to 400 nanometers. Such sunglasses are usually labeled as "UV400" and offer more protection than standard sunglasses that offer only around a 95% UVA/UVB protection filter.

There are three main standards for sunglasses worldwide - the Australian standard (AS/NZS); the European standard (EN); and the United States standard (ANSI). Although everyone should be sure to sport a pair of sunglasses in the sun, children’s eyes are particularly sensitive and so, special attention should be paid towards ensuring their visual protection.

Important to remember is that your sunglasses frames should fit close to your face (so that only minimal "stray light" can get in); yet not too close that they touch your eyes. You should also understand that it is not a case of "the darker the lens the more protection it offers"; the protection lies in the makeup of the lens; not the color. In fact, sometimes, lighter lenses can provide even stronger protection when manufactured correctly. In addition, you do not need to pay fortunes for appropriate protection. Expensive sunglasses do not necessarily provide the best (if any) protection. ALWAYS look at the UVA/UVB rating.

So, you’re almost ready for summer - just get your latest eyeglasses prescription and look for the latest in fashion frames to for your prescription sunglasses lenses. When your high quality, UVA/UVB protection discount eyeglasses arrive, you’ll be set to hit the beach.