Three Reasons You Need to Wear
Sunglasses Throughout the Year
When the weather changes, people tend to pack away their breezy, summer clothing and exchange it for warm, winter-ready outfits. It’s okay to store away those shorts and t-shirts for the upcoming cold, winter months – just don’t pack away your sunglasses!
Sunglasses aren’t just a summer-time accessory, they’re a helpful tool for vision protection. At Midwest Vision Centers, we recommend that you wear sunglasses throughout the entire year in order to protect your eyes from serious vision problems.
Here are three reasons why you should wear sunglasses all year long:
1. UV Rays Are Dangerous Year Round
We may see less of the sun during the winter, but its UV rays are just as dangerous. Even during cloudy days, the sun’s UV rays can affect your skin and your eyes.
Many know how important it is to put on sunscreen, but did you know that the sun can also threaten your eyesight? The Vision Council conducted a study of 10,000 Americans and found that nearly 66% of people believed the purpose of sunglasses was to prevent glare.
While sunglasses do prevent glare, they also have another purpose: they can protect your eyes from serious eye conditions and diseases.
1. UV Rays Are Dangerous Year Round
We may see less of the sun during the winter, but its UV rays are just as dangerous. Even during cloudy days, the sun’s UV rays can affect your skin and your eyes.
Many know how important it is to put on sunscreen, but did you know that the sun can also threaten your eyesight? The Vision Council conducted a study of 10,000 Americans and found that nearly 66% of people believed the purpose of sunglasses was to prevent glare.
While sunglasses do prevent glare, they also have another purpose: they can protect your eyes from serious eye conditions and diseases.
Wearing Quality Sunglasses Can Lower Your Risk for:
Macular Degeneration
Macular degeneration occurs when the macula, the center of the light sensitive tissue at the back of your eye, begins to deteriorate. The macula is responsible for central vision, the ability to read, recognize faces, distinguish colors, and see fine details clearly.
This is a serious disease that can cause permanent vision loss. There are a number of ways you can try to prevent macular degeneration, one of which is to protect your eyes from UV rays. It has been shown that lowering your exposure to UV rays can reduce your risk of contracting macular degeneration.
Cataracts and Glaucoma
Exposure to UV rays can affect your risk of developing cataracts and glaucoma.
Cataracts are when the eye’s natural lens becomes clouded and impairs your vision while glaucoma is a series of eye conditions that affect the visual nerve and can result in blindness if left untreated. There are multiple ways you can reduce your risk for developing cataracts and glaucoma, one of which is to regularly wear good sunglasses.
2. The Elements Can Be Unforgiving
There’s a reason that snow often appears bright on sunny days. Snow can reflect the sun’s rays, causing our eyes to become exposed to more UV light than usual. Not only can this eventually lead to the serious eye problems listed above, it can also cause a more immediate issue: snow blindness.
Snow blindness is essentially a sunburn on your cornea, the outer portion of your eye. It can cause eye pain, headaches, blurred vision, and a temporary loss of eyesight.
While you may only have to deal with snow during the winter, wind doesn’t discriminate between the seasons. Exposure to wind can cause damage to your eyes, especially your cornea. Excessive wind and dry air can also lead to a painful, chronic condition called dry eye.
Luckily, sunglasses can be worn year-long to protect against damage caused by both the snow and the wind.
3. Your Headache May Be Caused by the Sun
The sun’s rays don’t only have the potential to cause eye problems, over-exposure to bright lights can also cause eyestrain, headaches, and migraines.
While these problems may seem less dire when compared to the serious eye conditions and diseases excessive sunlight can cause, they have the capability to lower your quality of life. By donning sunglasses, you can help reduce how often you experience light-induced headaches while also reducing the severity of the pain.
3. Your Headache May Be Caused by the Sun
The sun’s rays don’t only have the potential to cause eye problems, over-exposure to bright lights can also cause eyestrain, headaches, and migraines.
While these problems may seem less dire when compared to the serious eye conditions and diseases excessive sunlight can cause, they have the capability to lower your quality of life. By donning sunglasses, you can help reduce how often you experience light-induced headaches while also reducing the severity of the pain.
Protect Your Eyes All Year Long
Your eyes deserve the very best protection, and they deserve it all year long! If you want to learn more about how to protect your eyes, or to find a pair of sunglasses for superior protection, request an appointment at Midwest Vision Centers!