It is a very personal choice. While both contact lenses and glasses each have benefits, here are a few reasons you might want to choose glasses instead of contacts to correct your vision.

Glasses are easy

Compared to the work required with contact lenses, maintaining glasses is easy. You’ll never have to remember when you opened your newest set of disposable lenses or worry about falling asleep in your contacts. Additionally, glasses won’t put you at a greater risk for an eye infection, and you won’t have to buy contact lens solution. Glasses are definitely a simple way to correct your vision.

Glasses are appropriate and safe for every age level

From babies to seniors, everyone can wear glasses. Contacts, on the other hand, require special care and maintenance. Parents often debate whether their children are responsible enough to care for contact lenses, and this is a valid concern. Improper care of contacts increases the risk of bacterial infections and eye ulcers. Over-wearing contact lenses can compromise the oxygen flow to the cornea, and in severe cases, can permanently affect vision.

Glasses are more comfortable

As the weather gets cooler, arid conditions can make your eyes feel dry and irritated. People who wear contact lenses are especially prone to dry eye, redness and irritation. And those who are having problems with contacts might have to resort to wearing glasses anyway. The lenses in glasses retain moisture near the eyes and can be much more comfortable in the fall and winter.

Glasses can be a fashion statement

Currently, glasses are very popular. They are a great way to accessorize and add color and interest to outfits. Even people who don’t need glasses often wear frames just because they look cool. Glasses are customizable, too. Lenses and frames come in all styles, colors and shapes to complement your face shape or your personality. For ultimate convenience, you can choose transition lenses that get darker when exposed to sunlight so you don’t have to purchase prescription sunglasses (Source: GlassesCrafter).

Ultimately, the decision to wear glasses or contacts is a personal one based on functionality, style and comfort. Talk to your eye doctor to get recommendations on what type of corrective lenses are best for you. You may just receive some insight to help you make your final decision.

Instead of making turkey the focal point of your feast, recall that the Thanksgiving holiday is about celebrating the bountiful fall harvest. Colorful fruits and vegetables can be the theme of your Thanksgiving table, serving to nourish your vision as well as your stomach.

When planning your Thanksgiving meal, use the colors of fall to guide you. Foods that are red, burgundy, violet, deep orange and yellow are full of flavor and packed with eye-nourishing vitamins. Carotenoids, a group of A vitamins that includes beta-carotene, lycopene and lutein, help fight against free-radical damage. When you combine carotenoids with other essential vitamins and nutrients, they provide health benefits that are essential for aging eyes.

Remember that fruits and vegetables will lose some of their nutritional potency in the cooking process, so try to eat raw foods whenever possible. You can practice this principle by creating an eye-catching veggie tray with various colors of bell peppers, broccoli, radishes and carrots.

Two of the carotenoids are in popular foods found on the Thanksgiving table: beta-carotene and lutein. And don’t forget the Vitamin C, another powerful antioxidant that promotes eye health.

• Beta-carotene —These powerful antioxidants are found in pumpkin, carrots, sweet potatoes, yams, winter squash and cantaloupe. For a boost in beta-carotene, look for recipes and dishes that are yellow or orange.
• Lutein — Dark, leafy greens such as kale, spinach and collards have lutein, which is important for good macular function. Make a large bowl of mixed green salad for your harvest table and garnish it with eye-healthy dried berries, orange slices and walnuts.
• Vitamin C — Citrus, broccoli, leafy greens, cranberries and bell peppers are excellent sources of vitamin C. One easy way to boost vitamin C intake is to replace mashed potatoes with mashed cauliflower. Just steam a head of cauliflower and blend it in the food processer with some milk, butter, salt and pepper. Cauliflower is also high in omega-3, which is associated with healthy visual development.

Research shows that what you eat makes a significant impact on your visual health, and not just on Thanksgiving. According to the Age-Related Eye Disease Studies (AREDS and AREDS2), an increased intake of antioxidant vitamins reduced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) risk by about 25 percent and reduced vision loss by 19 percent. Other studies linked higher vitamin C and E intake with a reduced risk for cataracts.

So fill your plate with mashed cauliflower, steamed carrots, sautéed spinach, and homemade cranberry sauce with orange zest. Make your Thanksgiving table a feast for the eyes this year!

It might be time for a little refresher on the importance of wearing sunglasses throughout the year. Remember, ultraviolet rays are just as harmful on cloudy or overcast days as they are on sunny ones. Here are five good reasons to wear your sunglasses in the fall.

1. Sunglasses make you look cool. Eyewear is more popular than ever, and sunglasses are a way to make a statement about your style. Instead of buying a cheap pair of sunglasses, invest in a quality pair of stylish sunglasses with proper UV protection. Once you find the glasses you love, purchase a case to keep them safe and prevent them from getting lost.
2. Sunglasses keep your eyes moist and comfortable. You’ve probably experienced dry eye before, and you know how annoying it can be. Unfortunately, you are more susceptible to dry eye during the cooler months of the year. Cold air, wind and lower humidity can make eyes itchy, watery and red. Lubricating drops can help alleviate dry eye — be careful though, they can be habit-forming and can sometimes make your condition worse.
3. Sunglasses protect you from wrinkles. You are saying “yes” to wrinkles, crow’s feet and fine lines if you are saying “no” to your sunglasses. The combination of daily sunscreen and sunglasses with larger lenses will shield the delicate skin on your face from the damaging effects of UV rays.
4. Sunglasses help prevent cataracts. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, and one of the main causes is sun exposure. Reducing your exposure to ultraviolet radiation could prevent or delay the development of cataracts which slowly deteriorate your vision and can affect your quality of life. By the age of 40, 1 out of every 6 Americans has a developing cataract, so it’s a good idea to sport those shades.
5. Sunglasses help reduce the risk for cancer and growths on or around the eye. Excessive exposure to the sun can cause many problems such as cancers of the eyelid, melanoma, or pterygium. Although pterygium growths are not cancerous, they can interfere with your vision and require surgery.

Solar radiation and UV rays are harmful during all four seasons, no matter your age or the area in which you live. The fall sun is lower in the sky, but this means it is also shining more directly into your eyes even if it does not seem as bright. Make it a priority to go out and buy a new pair of sunglasses and wear them every day. You’ll be looking fantastic and protecting your vision at the same time.

Diabetes affects the heart, kidneys and nervous system, but it can also impact vision. Long-term diabetes can damage the retina of the eye, and this condition is known as diabetic retinopathy. Although there may not be symptoms in the early stages, diabetic retinopathy is characterized by blurred vision, blindness, floaters or blind spots in the visual field. If diabetes is not managed or goes undetected, you could be at risk for eye hemorrhage or even blindness.

Diabetic retinopathy cannot always be prevented, but there are some steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing the disease. Here are a few guidelines:

1. Schedule regular check-ups and exams with your primary care physician. The best way to prevent diabetic retinopathy is to prevent diabetes. Annual well exams will monitor the health of your heart and kidneys, and most exams include blood panel labs that will test your blood sugar.
2. See your eye doctor every year. Did you know that an eye exam offers a glimpse of your overall health? Staying current with comprehensive eye exams offers early detection and intervention for eye diseases. People with diabetes may need to visit their eye doctors more often than non-diabetics, so ask your eye doctor how often you should schedule your exams.
3. Commit to daily exercise and a healthy diet. If you are diabetic, it is important to manage your diabetes with physical activity and nutrition. Exercise and a healthy diet are also two of the best ways to prevent diabetes and diabetic retinopathy. Talk to your doctor to get recommendations on types and durations of physical activity as well as dietary
   modifications.
4. Take all medications as directed. Taking your daily medication is essential for your health and for the proper functioning of your body. If you are diabetic, taking oral diabetes medications or insulin as directed is one of the best ways to prevent diabetic retinopathy.

Celebrate Diabetic Eye Disease Month by scheduling an annual physical exam with your primary care physician or a comprehensive eye exam with your eye doctor. November is also National Family Caregivers Month, so go the extra mile and make an appointment for a parent or elderly loved one as well.