You've donned your trendy sunglasses all summer long, and then here comes fall, followed by her old sister winter. Time to put those awesome sunshades away, you mutter to yourself. But there's news for you. Sunglasses can, in fact, do you a world of good worn year-round, right through fall and winter.
When the fall and winter seasons cycle around, it means that where you are on your particular spot of earth is being tilted away from the sun, but this doesn't mean there's no sun does it? And wherever there's sun, there's got to be UV rays. Actually, the sun's position to the earth and different angle in the sky during these months may mean less heat, and less intensity but not necessarily less exposure to ultraviolet light. The sun's rays that reach us during the fall and winter are still capable of causing harm if you are spending a lot of time outdoors and don't take protective precautions.
In the winter, when snow falls in beautiful, white, soft blankets, that gorgeous snow may actually increase your UV exposure risk, according to ophthalmologists. The Vision Council of America says that up to 85% of UV rays are reflected by the snow, which means that the snow amplifies the intensity of light that hits and bounces off of it. As a result, skiers and snowmobilers face the risk of snow blindness – a type of eye sunburn that can cause a great deal of pain in the eyes, although it usually heals itself over time.
In addition to snow glare, the cool winds and frosty chills of fall and winter respectively can cause your eyes to dry out. Meanwhile, if you are active in both seasons, dust and debris in the fall and snowflakes and ice in the winter can easily get into your eyes.
So you see that for all these reasons, during the fall and winter seasons, sunglasses actually serve the triple purpose of protecting your eyes from harmful UV rays that continue to emanate from the sun, reducing glare that is intensified by bright blankets of snow, and serving as a barrier against the cold and debris associated with both seasons.
Olympic Eyewear has many discount designer wholesale sunglasses that are suitable for those chillier months. Sportswear and ski goggles are more appropriate for specific outdoor activities but there are a variety of styles that can be worn casually. X-Loop Sunglasses, Biohazard Sunglasses and Chopper Sunglasses offer great options for fall and winter sunglasses wear.