Don't Forget About This Essential Summer Staple

4 Vital Reasons Why You Should Always Wear Sunglasses

Photo by Abbat on Unsplash

Last weekend, I took my youngest daughter to meet up with some of her friends at the new community pool. It was our first time there because it just opened at the beginning of the summer.

I’d like to emphasize that I would much rather swim in the comfort of my brother’s pool to avoid crowds, pool urinators, and embarrassing pickup lines from “single” dads. I think they forget that their wedding rings leave tan lines…

However, this new public pool was pretty impressive. It had splash pads, several water slides, and a lazy river that I lounged in all day. Aside from a few rogue cannonballs, I was in heaven, floating along with the current on Liv’s pink Barbie floaty.

It was 97 degrees with not a cloud in the sky, so I set a timer on my phone to reapply sunscreen every hour. Yep, I’m that mom! All of the moms were vigilant about reapplying sunscreen and hydration, but I couldn’t help but notice how many people weren’t wearing sunglasses.

It was strange watching countless moms lying face up in the blinding sunshine with no eye protection. Is no tan line really worth your eyesight? Maybe it’s just me. I have become a tad paranoid and hyper-aware of protecting my good eye since I lost my right eye.

That experience made me curious. Is everyone aware of the dangers of sun damage to their eyes? I hope so, but in case you aren’t an avid wearer of sunglasses, let me tell you why you should be!

After some research, I found that 31% of people don’t wear sunglasses as much as they should, and a staggering one in five people don’t wear sunglasses at all. What?!?! I find that shocking. Time for some education…

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Here are 4 important reasons why you should keep a pair of sunglasses available whenever you’re heading outdoors.

1. Prevent Long-Term Damage to Your Eyes

Something as simple as throwing on a pair of your favorite shades can prevent major damage to your eyesight. Prolonged exposure to UV rays can damage your cornea, lens, and retina.

Wearing sunglasses can also significantly decrease your risk of developing cataracts, macular degeneration, and some forms of eye cancer. All of these eye conditions dramatically reduce your sight and quality of life.

2. Decrease Eye Strain

When you are exposed to the bright sunshine, you naturally squint your eyes to block out the brightness. Constant squinting causes headaches, eye fatigue, blurry vision, and let’s not forget wrinkles.

Sunglasses reduce squinting, improve vision clarity, and help you save money on future Botox injections. I would consider all of those a win.

3. Protects Eyelids and the Delicate Area Around Eyes

Sunglasses not only protect your eyes from harmful UV rays, but they also protect your eyelids and sensitive skin around your eyes from sunburn and UV damage.

Eyelid skin is the thinnest skin on your body and most at risk for sun damage. Protecting these areas also prevents premature aging.

4. Protect the Eyes from Harsh Elements

Wearing sunglasses protects the eyes from the sun, but they also protect the eyes from wind, sand, dirt, and other particles that can damage or irritate the eyes.

Think about when a tiny piece of dirt or sand gets in your eyes. Instead of flushing it out, we immediately rub our eyes, increasing the risk of scratching and causing major damage. Wearing sunglasses can prevent all of that.

Photo by Sebastian Coman Travel on Unsplash

Now that we know how important it is to wear sunglasses, which ones are best to protect our eyes? Here are some important things to consider when buying sunglasses.

Many people consider sunglasses an important accessory and spend tons of money on a trendy pair. But you can get a perfectly nice and functional pair for under five dollars. Amazon has great sunglasses under $10 that look very expensive if that’s what you’re looking for.

Make sure you get a pair that says 100% UV protection, meaning it protects against both UVA and UVB radiation. It’s also good to look for a pair with polarization to reduce the glare of the sun.

I personally love sunglasses that are large in shape for extra protection around my eye area. They protect my eyelids and the surrounding area from getting sunburn, plus they keep the sand from blowing in my eyes.

Wearing sunglasses and regular glasses is especially important for those of us who have lost an eye. We must be extra aware of accidents and shield our remaining eye at any cost to prevent total blindness.

For those of you with two eyes, I would hope that your sight is equally as important to you, and you would do anything to keep it. So, do your eyes a favor and wear sunglasses often. I keep a pair in my car and my purse, so they are always conveniently available.

I would love to hear from you. Do you wear sunglasses often? Are sunglasses part of your summer safety routine, like sunscreen? Please leave a comment below.

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Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you are keeping your eyes healthy and safe during all this beautiful sunshine. If you enjoy learning about your health and would like to support my writing, please Buy Me A Coffee by clicking below. I appreciate your kindness! ❤

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Image by Author- I promise Liv just took hers off for the picture! xoxo