Protect your eyes all year round

October 27, 2009

Even though autumn skies seem dimmer than in the summer months, it's important to continue to protect your eyes. UV rays are strong all year round, and the glare that comes with winter sports like skiing and snowboarding can exacerbate the effects of sunlight.

Keep your peepers safe with protective eye wear this winter. For cold weather sports-enthusiasts, throwing on a pair of ski goggles with polarized lenses can also enhance your performance. Polarized lenses reduce glare and could make it easier to spot dips, bumps and icy patches on the surface of the mountain. Sunglasses and protective goggles will also reduce your chance of developing snow-blindness, a painful sunburn on the surface of the eye, the American Optometric Association (AOA) reports.

Continue to wear sunglasses when you head outside all year round, regardless of whether you're in icy climes or a sunny paradise. The AOA recommends purchasing sunglasses with at least 99 percent UV protection and wearing them whenever you go outside. Preventing the damage caused by UV rays can reduce your chances of developing glaucoma, cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, the three leading causes of blindness in America.