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Disclaimer:
This site is provided for informational
purposes only. The information here is not intended to diagnose
or treat any condition, and should not replace the care and attention
of qualified medical personnel. Use the information on these pages
at your own risk, and, as with any information pertaining to health,
nutrition, mental health, or fitness, consult your physician before making any
changes that might affect your overall health.
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Eye
Protection at High Altitudes
Many people coming
up to higher altitudes for the first time are surprised at
the amount of sunlight year 'round. Low, thin clouds, and
snow on the ground can intensify the degree of light and glare.
 Sunlight,
in excess, gives me a headache. I don't mean a little, "Oh
gee, I have a headache!" either, I mean a screamingly
painful "Don't touch me, don't make a noise, turn off
that light!" headache!
You
really need to carry sunglasses year round at higher altitudes.
Low, thin cloud cover is frequent, as is daytime haze. Either
one can cause a glare that can be eye-wateringly painful,
even if the sun is to the side or back of you.
Snow
on the ground, even if the snow cover is not heavy or even
continuous, can also increase the amount of reflected light
and glare. A few minutes out in it can make your eyes smart,
and your head hurt.
Wearing
sunglasses is especially important while driving. The intense
concentration required to drive causes people to blink less
often than they usually would. This means your eyes are exposed
to the light more heavily, and the stress is greater. After
a bit, your eyes will start to smart, and then they will start
to water. When they start to water, the light reflects off
of the pooling tears, and makes the problem even worse! I
have had to pull over to the side of the road to rest my eyes
when I was without sunglasses, because I simply could not
keep them open due to the pain it caused.
Other
places where you will need to wear sunglasses are on the water,
and any time you are hiking across a snowfield.
Often
we think of mountains as being cold and stormy in the winter,
and they can be, but even on a snowy day, the light can be
intense enough to require sunglasses! In many high altitude
areas though, the majority of the days in winter are sunny
- COLD, but bright and clear. You'll suffer if you underestimate
your need for eye protection.
The
best sunglasses are either polarized, or reflective. Either
one is good at cutting down the amount of glare, and minimizing
the amount of painful light that reaches your eyes.
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High
Altitude Library
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Editorial Comments throughout this site written by Laura Wheeler (with occasional sarcastic remarks by her son, David). Laura is a 10 year resident of Medicine Bow, Wyoming, where the altitude is greater than the population. Medicine Bow is at 6200+ ft above sea level, and boasts a total of 297 residents from the last census. Laura is an experienced technical, health and family writer.
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