According to a 2016 UV protection report by the Vision Council 75% of Americans are concerned about UV eye exposure yet only 31% wear sunglasses when they go outside.

There are six main reasons why you should wear sunglasses more often, especially when you are enjoying the outdoors this summer:

1. Prevent Sun-Related Health Problems

• Skin Cancer – 90% of all skin cancer occurs from the neck up and because UV damage is cumulative and irreversible, it is important to begin protection at an early age – research shows that young eyes are even more susceptible to UV-related damage.
• Cataracts & Glaucoma – the most common cause of vision loss in people over 40. The World Health Organization estimates that up to 20% of all cataract cases in the U.S. are attributed to UV radiation and are preventable.
• Macular Degeneration – another cause of vision loss in adults 60 and older – higher UV exposure at an early age has been shown to be a factor associated with early AMD (Age-related macular degeneration)

2. Protection from the Elements –especially UV reflected from surfaces

• Snow – reflects up to 85%
• Sand and concrete – reflects up to 25%
• Water – reflects up to 100%

3. You’ll Enjoy the Outdoors More

• The improvement and enhancement of colors provides the opportunity to enjoy all the beauty that surrounds us

4. Fewer headaches & Migraines

• The constant effort by your vision system to limit the exposure to sunlight when not wearing sunglasses promotes a tremendous amount of eye strain to your system leading to an increase of fatigue, headaches and possibly migraines.

5. For Safer driving

• Your additional reaction time to recognize potential danger is greatly improved by wearing polarized sunglasses. Studies have shown that while driving at 50 mph you gain an additional 23 feet of stopping distance if wearing polarized sunglasses.

6. Sunglasses are stylish!

• Sunglasses are fun! There are so many stylish frames that having just one pair is not enough!