Now that winter is upon us, you might think that it’s no longer necessary to wear your sunglasses — but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Here are four reasons why wearing your sunglasses during this colder season is so important.
Did you know that 80 per cent of what you perceive comes through your sense of sight? Vision is key to living a happy, healthy, and fulfilled life, which is why it’s so important to take care of your eyes, especially as the weather becomes colder and the days turn darker.
Luckily, just a few simple steps can help keep your vision protected during the cold season, including:
- Visiting your Calgary optometrist for your annual eye exam
- Wearing sunglasses to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays
- Staying away from heaters to prevent dry eyes
- Talking to your eye doctor about using saline eye drops to keep your eyes moisturized
- Staying hydrated and eating a healthy diet
- Wearing the appropriate safety eyewear when participating in winter sports
Our Calgary Eye Doctors Can Keep Your Vision Protected Throughout The Year
At our Calgary eye clinic in Sunridge Mall, our optometrists are passionate about providing comprehensive vision services for your whole family, including dry eye care, glaucoma testing, cataract management, and emergency eye care. Whatever your needs, we can help keep your vision clear and your eyes healthy throughout the year.
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CONTACT OUR CALGARY EYE CLINIC TODAY
4 Reasons Why It’s Important to Wear Your Sunglasses During the Winter
Studies have shown that winter brings with it a double threat to the eyes, which is why wearing sunglasses during these colder months is so important.
During the winter, the sun’s rays still carry the same UVA and UVB rays as they do in the summer, but in snowy regions, the threat to your eyes is doubled because snow acts as a reflective medium for the rays.
If you were ready to put your sunglasses away for the winter, don’t! Here are four reasons why wearing sunglasses is so important during this colder season:
1. They Help Reduce Glare
During winter, every surface is coated by water, snow, or ice. This results in extremely bright reflections that can cause glare and severely impair your vision. This is particularly dangerous when you are driving, skiing, or snowmobiling.
High-quality sunglasses can dramatically reduce this glare to provide safer, clearer, and more comfortable vision. If you drive frequently or participate in winter sports, you may want to talk to your optometrist about polarized lenses.
Polarized lenses are particularly effective at shielding eyes from dangerous reflections and they can:
- Increase your visual clarity and comfort
- Help images appear sharper and clearer
- Reduce eye strain
- Minimize any colour distortion
All of these advantages make polarized lenses great for sunglasses. They are an excellent choice if you spend a lot of time outdoors and can help improve your vision in high-glare situations.
2. Sunglasses Filter Out the Sun’s Harmful UV Rays
Whatever the season, whether it’s summer or winter, constant exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays has been linked to certain ocular conditions, such as:
- Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
- Eye cancer
- Cataracts
Wearing quality sunglasses when you are outside will filter out these UVA and UVB rays, keeping your eyes protected and lowering your risk of developing these conditions and vision loss.
Wrinkle Prevention: An additional benefit of wearing sunglasses is that they provide excellent protection for the skin around your eyes, preventing any signs of premature aging or wrinkles caused by UV rays.
3. Wearing Sunglasses Can Reduce Eye Strain
In extremely bright conditions, the pupil can’t constrict enough to reduce light exposure to a comfortable level. This will cause squinting in a natural attempt to further reduce the amount of light entering your eyes. Squinting and the constant constriction of pupils can lead to headaches and eye strain.
How can sunglasses help? Sunglasses reduce the amount of light that reaches your eyes, improving your comfort and preventing eye strain and headaches brought about by squinting.
4. Sunglasses Protect Your Eyes From Wind, Dust, and Debris
Another benefit of wearing sunglasses is that they create an effective wind barrier and reduce the evaporation of natural moisture, keeping your eyes comfortable and preventing them from drying out. Sunglasses can also prevent windblown particles from causing painful corneal abrasions.
Wraparound style sunglasses: Close-fitting, wraparound style sunglasses are the most effective at preventing injuries from wind, dust, and debris. You can even talk to your optometrist about a hydrophobic lens coating, which can repel water, dust, fingerprints, and lotions, keeping your eyes safe and vision streak-free.
Contact Us
To find out more about how our team of optometrists can help protect your eyes this winter or to book an eye exam for you, your child, or a senior in your home, contact us at 403-280-7518 or fill in our online contact form.
