8 Reasons to Wear Sunglasses In the Fall

Generally, sunglasses go hand-in-hand with beautiful ocean views, sitting poolside with your bestie, or driving with the top down on a hot summer day. But the reality is that sunglasses are meant to be worn even on the gloomiest overcast days and in the dead of winter. To keep your peepers in tip-top shape, protecting them from UV rays year round is a must. Here's why:

1. Eye and Skin Cancer. Most people don't give their eyelids much thought, but five to 10 percent of all skin cancers consist of basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma, which are cancers of the eye and eyelid. The American Cancer Society recommends wearing sunglasses year-round to protect yourself from cancer-causing UVA and UVB rays.
2. Vision Problems. Ultraviolet rays beam down all year long—even on rainy days—and they make eyes more susceptible to vision problems such as cataracts, macular degeneration, pterygia, among others. A pair of shades or pterygia? We say the former.
3. Glare. Whether you're on the water, in the snow, or driving, glare from the sun can be dangerous. That shining ball in the sky has been known to cause everything from headaches to car accidents, but with the help of polarized lenses, you can keep the car on the road and your headache at bay.
4. Squinting and Eye Strain. Squinting is a natural reaction to bright light. It's your body's way of trying to protect your eyes from damaging UV rays. But, with a pair of shades you can avoid eye strain (and a few unnecessary wrinkles).
5. Debris. Becoming one with nature is great until a tiny little piece of it finds its way into your eye. No matter if you are hiking, biking, or driving with your windows down, wear sunglasses to deflect dirt and other particles from finding their way into your pretty peepers.
6. Dry Eye Prevention. No one wants bloodshot eyes, especially if you don't even have a good story to go with them. Sunglasses can protect delicate eyes from rough winter wind that dries eyes out leaving you with unsightly, irritated eyes.
7. Sunburn. Eyes can get sunburnt. It's true. It is known as photokeratitis. It feels like grit in your eye and causes pain and blurry vision. Although the effects are temporary, why not avoid it altogether and toss on some sunnies?
8. Anti-aging. Most of us try to avoid wrinkles and some even spend a great deal on beauty treatments to reverse the dastardly creases. Here's something cheaper than botox: sunglasses.