Sunglasses in the Winter?

Many people wonder how necessary it is to have sunglasses in the winter, because the weather is sometimes gloomy or rainy, and sunglasses are meant to protect our eyes from the sun's UV rays. So we don't need protective eyewear in the winter, right? Wrong! There are so many times that your eyes need protection, and you may not even know it.

If you aren't wearing some protective eyewear, you may be damaging your eyes. A fact that not everyone knows is that the UVA and UVB rays penetrate clouds, and it's on these overcast days when people think they are safe that they get the worst sunburns and damage their eyesight. Make sure you protect your eyes.

Another way you may be damaging your eyes and not being aware of it is if you live in a place where it snows. Snow is merely frozen water, as we all know, and water reflects the sun's harmful rays! So whether you are walking to work or going skiing, you have to protect your eyes if you are going to be around a lot of snow that can reflect those harmful rays to your retinas. You can get polarized sunglasses which are made specifically to protect your eyes around water. Polarized lenses come in a variety of colors and you can get some that are lighter, because they are made to reduce glare and protect your eyes from UV rays, not so much to darken the light. No matter where you live, one of these situations is applicable to you, so be sure to protect your eyesight even in the cold days of winter.

If you or someone you know has a question about sunglasses during winter, please feel free to call Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center at 219-464-8223, or visit Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center or facebook.com/nwindianaeyeandlaser.

Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center offices are located at 502 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354.