Bryan Wolynski, OD, is a board-certified optometrist who has been in the field for over 30 years. He is an adjunct assistant clinical professor at SUNY College of Optometry ​and works in private practice in New York City.

Shereen Lehman, MS, is a healthcare journalist and fact checker. She has co-authored two books for the popular Dummies Series (as Shereen Jegtvig).

Prescription sunglasses are sunglasses with your own corrective prescription built into the lenses. Prescription sunglasses are great if you have a refractive error; they can protect your eyes from the sun and glare while enabling you to see clearly.

Prescription sunglasses are available for almost all corrective prescriptions, with several options including bifocals and progressive lenses. Many people enjoy the convenience of clear vision with the luxury of shade from the bright sun.

If you spend a lot of time outdoors or behind the wheel, having a pair of prescription sunglasses will make outdoor activities much easier and safer for your eyes.

Prescription sunglasses may be fashionable, but they also help eliminate ultraviolet (UV) and blue light, both of which can hurt your eyes and cause eye fatigue.

This is especially important if you are outdoors a lot since excessive UV light exposure can lead to macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss in older adults.  UV rays, especially UV-B rays, may also cause certain types of cataracts (the clouding of the eye's lens).

The best way to get yourself a pair of prescription sunglasses is to ask your optometrist or optician. If you require bifocals for reading, as we all eventually do, your sunglasses can be made with an included bifocal. (The next time you're at the beach, you won't have to fumble in your beach bag for your reading glasses.)

Another option is eyeglasses with photochromic lenses. These lenses darken when exposed to UV rays from the sun. As a less expensive option, clip-ons are sun shades that attach to your regular glasses. Clip-ons can be purchased along with frames, assuring a perfect fit.

Almost any designer frame will be able to accommodate prescription lenses. However, most low-quality sunglass frames don't have the stability or structure for such use.

Prescription sunglasses are gaining in popularity, as more and more people are realizing their benefits. Not only do they help protect your vision and make a fashion statement, but they also make it possible for you to see clearly.

Just because they aren't your main eyeglasses doesn't mean should put any less care into the selection of the right sunglasses. Here are some tips you should always follow:

Be sure to select the appropriate lens material for your needs. These include plastic lenses for casual use, polycarbonate lenses for active people, and high-indexes lenses for complex prescriptions or high fashion use.

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NYU Langone Health. Corrective Lenses for Refractive Error.

Chalam KV, Khetpal V, Rusovici R, Balaiya S. A review: role of ultraviolet radiation in age-related macular degeneration. Eye Contact Lens. 2011;37(4):225-32. doi:10.1097/icl.0b013e31821fbd3e

Roberts JE. Ultraviolet radiation as a risk factor for cataract and macular degeneration. Eye Contact Lens. 2011;37(4):246-9. doi:10.1097/ICL.0b013e31821cbcc9

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