This Winter, Don’t Forget To Protect Your Eyes

Your eyes need protection year-round.

Wear Your Sunglasses–Even In Winter

You may be surprised to hear that unprotected eyes can sustain just as much damage from the sun in the winter months as they can during the summer, and sometimes more! Did you know that snow reflects 80 percent of UV radiation? That means that when you’re surrounded by snow, especially on a sunny day, your eyes are possibly being exposed to double the amount of radiation they normally are.
 

If you’re a winter sports enthusiast you need to be even more careful. If you enjoy skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling or other mountain sports, it’s important to know that the higher the altitude, the more UV radiation. For every 1000 meter increase in elevation, UV radiation levels increase by 10 to 12 percent.
 

Even if you don’t live in an area where it snows, many people are unaware of how important it is to protect your eyes in overcast weather. Clouds may block the sunlight, making it dark and dreary outside, but they don’t block UV rays. So whether it’s sunny, snowy or overcast, always wear your sunglasses outside!
 

Protect Yourself From Photokeratitis

You may have heard of the term “snow blindness,” but what is it? Snow blindness is a form of photokeratitis, a painful eye condition that occurs when the eyes are damaged by the sun’s UV rays. Put simply, photokeratitis is what happens when your eyes get sunburned.
 

Snow blindness happens to people whose eyes are unprotected in snowy environments, due to the highly reflective nature of snow and ice—but it can also be caused by sun reflection on sand or water.
 

Whether you’re a ski trooper or not, your eyes need protecting!
 

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We Offer The Protection Your Eyes Need

As we’ve said before, not any sunglasses will do. Make sure your sunglasses block 99 to 100 percent of UV-A and UV-B rays or are labeled “UV 400.” Come explore our in-store collection of shades. We’ll help you find a pair of sunglasses you love, perfectly suited for your personality and lifestyle!
 

Do you participate in winter sports and wear prescription glasses? Talk to us about getting prescription lenses fitted to your ski goggles or sunglasses–we’d be happy to help!
 

If you’re wondering if your favorite pair of sunglasses or goggles provide proper UV protection, bring them in and we’ll check for you!

Take The Proper Precautions And Enjoy

As long as you’ve properly protected your eyes, there’s no need to worry about going outside on sunny or even snowy days. So grab those sunglasses, get out there and enjoy!
 

We love our patients!

Top image by Flickr user Alex Ristea used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.