How Harmful Are UV Rays And How Tinting Can Protect You?
One of the most important benefits of having your car windows tinted is the protection it gives from the harmful rays of the sun. It is a common misconception of people to think that as long as they are inside their vehicle, they are safe from the sun’s UV rays. The truth is, light bounces and reflects, and it can reach you while you are on the driver seat or passenger seat of your car. What’s worse is that people fail to realize that driving for hours is considered a prolonged exposure to sunlight, regardless whether they can feel the heat or not, even if it is snowy or cloudy that day.
In order to protect yourself from the harmful effects of UV rays, you must understand first how it affects your skin and how exactly they can harm your health.
Almost everybody is familiar that the sun is a 6-billion-year-old star which is the center of this universe. Without it, nothing can live and exist. It may be earth’s source of life; it also contributes some unintentional damage especially to the people.
The World Health Organization clarifies that Small amounts of UV are beneficial for people and essential in the production of vitamin D, an essential nutrient our body naturally needs. In fact, UV radiation is also used to treat several diseases, including rickets, psoriasis, eczema and jaundice. But, according to them, the exposure to UV rays should be strictly and medically monitored, for prolonged and unsupervised exposure can lead to negative and harmful effects to the skin, eyes and immune system.
Erythema, or more commonly known as sunburn is the most usual negative effect of exposure to UV rays. Simple as it may seem. Long exposure to it induces degenerative changes in cells of the skin, fibrous tissue and blood vessels leading to premature skin aging, photodermatoses and actinic keratosis, as well as inflammatory reactions to the eye that can blur vision. Graver degrees can also cause most serious cases, skin cancer and even the development of cataracts on the eye.
Skin Cancer
According to the data they have collected, approximately 130,000 cases of skin cancer or Melanomas occur around the world each year. It is worth noting that mortality rates in fair-skinned populations have larger numbers compared to darker skinned population. It is estimated that at least 66,0000 die because of this specific kind of cancer.
Cataracts and Loss of Vision
The WHO records also show that 12 to 15 million people permanently lost their vision because of Cataracts. An estimated 20% of those who became blind because of Cataract caused or enhanced by sun exposure.
Weakening of the Immune System
More and more studies are coming with validated data that proves high levels of UV ray exposure can suppress cell-mediated immunity, which can effectively weaken the body’s natural shield from viruses, bacteria and other diseases. The WHO also reports that prolonged sun exposure may enhance the risk of infection with viral, bacterial, parasitic or fungal infections, which has been demonstrated in a variety of animal models.
Long exposure to direct sunlight may also reduce the effectiveness of vaccines. Since many vaccine-preventable diseases are extremely infectious, any factor that results in even a small decrease in vaccine efficacy can have a major impact on public health.
What tinting can do?
Since it is impossible to never go out of your house to avoid being overly exposed to the sun’s rays, the best way you can prevent these medical conditions affecting your health is to do precautionary measures.
One easy and proven effective way is by installing window tints on your car’s windscreen and windows. Among the benefits of tinting, probably the most important one is the protection it gives to your health.
Car window tinting effectively reduces, blocks and absorbs sunlight, which contains the harmful UV rays that do damage to your eyes, skin and immune system. Some of the films used in car window tinting filter out at least 80% of the UV rays from the sun.
Car window tints also shield your eyes and prevent glare from all sources of extreme and blinding light. By installing car tints, you don’t only give your eyes some extra protection from the UV rays, you also protect the other passengers inside the vehicle from possible road accidents because of the sun’s brightness and rays.
SOURCES:
http://www.who.int/uv/health/en/
http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/uva-and-uvb
http://www.who.int/uv/health/uv_health2/en/
http://www.tinting-laws.com/benefits/
