U2’s Bono reveals why he always wears sunglasses: Glaucoma

Those colored sunglasses U2 frontman Bono always wears? There’s a reason behind them.

“I have glaucoma,” the 54-year-old superstar told British talk show host Graham Norton in a recent interview of him and his band mates. “For the last 20 years.”

Glaucoma, a chronic eye condition that makes the eyes highly sensitive to light, can lead to blindness if not treated properly. In Bono’s case, he says folks have nothing to worry about. Good treatments exist, which make his outlook a positive one.

“The thing about glaucoma is that I have 20/20 vision,” the Irish singer explained after being asked about the shades he seemingly never takes off. “So I go to do these eye tests and I say, ‘I don’t really need one because I’ve got perfect [vision].’

And the eye doctors say, “‘Oh, that’s one of the signs of -- oh you wouldn’t have it.’ [Then they ask] have you ever had strange visions, and steam coming into the room, and rings around lights?’

“And I went, ‘Oh, yeah,’” Bono said. “And it’s not from anything exotic,” sparking laughs from the audience.

The singer and philanthropist, who wears tinted glasses indoors and out, joked with the host, Norton, that he wouldn’t be able to get the information out of his head. “You will be saying ‘Ah, poor old blind Bono,’” the Grammy winner suggested.

Now, now.

U2’s newest album “Songs of Innocence” is available on iTunes and was released as part of a promotional ploy that automatically added the album to 500 million iTunes customers’ playlists for free. Score! Or not so much.

Bono’s sorry about that, by the way.

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