10 Reasons You Need to Wear Sunglasses in the Fall

by Beth Cale on November 5, 2013

Most people associate wearing sunglasses with summer and warm weather, but sunglasses are something you should wear year-round. Why, you ask? Here are the top 10 reasons you should wear sunglasses throughout the entire year, even during the cold fall weather.

1. Help Prevent Eye and Skin Cancer. The main reason many people wear sunglasses during the spring and summer months is to protect their eyes from the bright sunlight. In recent years, doctors and organizations, such as the Skin Cancer Foundation and the American Cancer Society, have taken extra measures to inform the public of the dangers that UVA and UVB rays can cause, even if it is cloudy outside. In fact, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, 5 to 10% of all skin cancers consist of basal cell carcinoma, squamous sell carcinoma, and melanoma, which are cancers of the eye and eyelid (More info here: http://bit.ly/EyeCancer). Just like you have learned to wear sunscreen all year, you should also take precautions to further protect your delicate eye and eye area with sunglasses whenever you are outside. The best sunglasses will block 99 to 100% of UVA and UVB light. Many Acuvue brand contacts also have UV protection, although you should still wear sunglasses as well.

2. Minimize Vision Problems. Not wearing sunglasses can make your eyes susceptible to vision problems such as cataracts (cloudiness of your eye’s lens that can eventually lead to blindness), macular degeneration (breakdown of the macula, which is responsible for the fine-tuned vision needed for detailed tasks), pterygia (tissue that can grow over the white of your eye, with the possibility of eventually causing vision impairment by growing over the cornea), and other issues.

3. Reduce Glare. Whether you are on the water, in the snow, or simply driving, glare from the sun affects nearly everyone. The effects of sun glare can be dangerous, ranging from headaches to car accidents. Luckily, polarized lenses can easily help reduce the dangers of glare by blocking the intense rays that cause it with a specialized filter. Transitions DriveWear is also a good option.


4. Aid with Squinting and Eye Strain. On those sunny fall days, it can be hard to go outside without squinting. This is because your body is trying to protect your eyes from damaging UV rays. Sunglasses can help you avoid squinting in bright sunlight, which can ultimately lead to eye strain, among other problems.

5. Avoid Headaches. Whether you had too much special grape juice or just didn’t get enough sleep, sunlight can give you a miserable headache.

6. Protect Your Eyes From Debris. If you do outdoor activities, chances are you have gotten debris in your eye. No matter if you are hiking, biking, or like to drive with your windows rolled down, wearing sunglasses can help deflect dirt and other particles from finding their way into your eye.

7. Dry Eye Prevention. Fall and winter weather can be especially harsh on your eyes and the skin around them. Cool, windy air blowing against your skin and eyes can dry them out, giving you unsightly red, irritated eyes and parched, sore skin.

Woman wearing sunglasses

8. Avoid Sunburn in and Around the Eyes. You probably already knew how it easy it is to burn and damage the skin around your eyes, but did you know that your eyes can get sunburnt as well? It is known as photokeratitis. Symptoms of photokeratitis are blurry vision and/or feeling like you have something gritty in your eye, such as sand. Fortunately, the effects are only temporary, but they tend to be painful.

9. Anti-aging. Let’s face it, nobody wants to get wrinkles – especially if they are preventable! Wearing sunglasses, preferably wraparound style, is an easy way to prevent premature aging of your skin.

10. Follow the Trends. What better reason do you need to wear sunglasses in the fall than to be stylish? Sunglasses are becoming an increasingly popular accessory, and fall is no exception.

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