The Snow blindness reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Jul-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Snow blindness

Snow blindness is a painful condition caused by exposure of unprotected eyes to sunlight reflected from snow. This is especially a problem at high altitude and polar regions.

The problem is also related to the condition arc eye sometimes experienced by welders.

Some guidelines to use when choosing a good trekking/mountaineering pair of sunglasses:

• 99-100% UV absorption
• Polycarbonate or CR-39 lens (lighter, more comfortable than glass)
• 5-10% visible light transmittance
• Large lenses that fit close to the face
• Wraparound or side-shielded to prevent incidental light exposure

See Also

• Winter sport

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