Sunglasses are a must in the summer, when the day lasts about 14 hours, but some people might not realize how important it is to wear them all year, even in the winter. Seek Optics made a short list of important reasons why you shouldn't put away your sunglasses for the winter:
1. UV Rays: Even though the sun rises in the winter, it is also lower in the sky and sits at a different angle. Because of this, UV exposure is actually worse in the winter than in the summer. If you want to protect your eyes from long-term damage, you have to wear something over them. Not only do sunglasses protect your eyes from UV damage and wrinkles, but they also protect your eyelids and the delicate skin around your eyes.
2. Glare: Rain and frost happen often in the winter. Surface reflections from these outside factors can make it hard to see, which is especially dangerous when driving a car or truck. Polarized lenses are your best defense against these problems because they are made to protect your eyes from glare.
Wind, dust, and debris protection: Sunglasses are a great way to protect your eyes from the wind. Sunglasses that fit closely and wrap around the face are especially good at keeping you from getting hurt by flying objects. On windy days, some of our favorite Oakley models to wear are the Oakley Flak 2.0 XL and the Oakley Jawbreaker. Another thing to keep in mind is that when you are getting hit with wind blasts all the time, the air dries out the natural moisture in your eyes, which can make you feel uncomfortable and even cause your vision to blur.
Here are some interesting facts about snow: Up to 85% of the sun's UV rays are reflected back into your eyes by snow, and UV rays get stronger every 1,000 feet above sea level. In short, if you don't have something to protect your eyes, you're almost certain to get overexposed. The bleaching of your retinas by light can hurt and make it harder to see.
3. Eyestrain and Headaches: Any optometrist will be happy to explain how the human eye works, and so will we. Your eye's pupil controls how much light gets to the back of your eye, where the retina is. When there isn't much light, the pupils get bigger so that as much light as possible can reach the retina. On the other hand, when there is a lot of light, the pupil will get smaller to keep as much light from getting to the retina. When it's too bright, your pupil can't close enough to protect your eyes from getting too much light. This is why you squint to try to cut down on the amount of light that gets into your eyes. Squinting and the constant narrowing of the pupil are what cause eyestrains and headaches in the long run. Since your sunglasses make it darker, less light gets to your retina. This means you can avoid these uncomfortable situations.
