Doctors say ultraviolet radiation or UV rays can be dangerous to your skin… but what about your eyes?

Summer is here and most people in La Crosse have brushed off the cobwebs of winter and hit the parks and beaches to catch some rays.

One student says she and her friends like to get out "as much as we can."

"I prefer the park just because I study out here and I don't get sand in there," says Kate Yurcek.

But have they studied up on the sun's affect on our eyes?

Kate says she wears sunglasses, but she’s unsure if they are UV protective. So what does she look for in a pair of sunglasses?

"Whatever looks good."

The government recommends you wear sunglasses, which block anywhere from 99- to 95% of harmful UV rays. Alan Hecht, an optometrist at Franciscan Skemp Hospital, says long term exposure to the sun's rays can lead to serious damage.

"There’s some evidence now that things like cataracts or even macular degeneration may be worsened by that exposure. It's recommended nowadays that everyone have some sort of sun protection when they’re going to be outside for long periods of time. It doesn't necessarily have to be expensive, it doesn't necessarily matter what color they are, but what we're looking for with ultraviolet protection sunglasses is something that will say on the glasses that it protects or blocks out at least ninety nine to one hundred percent of the UV light."

Hecht says heredity and age also play a part in vision loss. But he realizes we won't use sunglasses all the time. In fact, he and his family don't always wear them.

"We're human like everybody else. We have our good days and bad days. If we're going to be outside a lot and exposed to bright lights, if we're going to high altitudes then we're real good about that."