The temperatures are staying warm, the sun is staying out longer in the evenings and the official start of summer is just a few weeks away.
The combination of these things has people outdoors playing sports, swimming, gardening and doing many other activities.
While it's very important for people to protect their skin from the sun's rays, eye protection is just as important, according to local optometrists.
"There are many eye diseases that can affect your eyesight and quite a few that can affect appearance that can be caused by the sun," said Dr. Malinda Lucky Flores, of Lucky Eye Care in Williamstown.
Flores said cataracts and macular degeneration are examples of such diseases.
"Both of those are also influenced by genetics, medication and health, but sun exposure is a very controllable risk factor," she said.
Fact Box
Tips for selecting sunglasses
Determine your face shape by taking a photo of yourself directly facing the camera, then use a piece of tracing paper to outline the edge of your face in the picture. Determine if your face is round, oval, square or heart-shaped.
If you have a round face shape, avoid sunglasses with round frames. Look for angular shapes that can help slim a round face.
People with oval faces have the most options when it comes to sunglasses, but slightly square frames usually look best.
People with square faces usually look best wearing oval or round shaped sunglasses.
People with heart-shaped faces should try to wear sunglasses that balance out a wide forehead and narrow chin. Tortoiseshell or other colorful frames help draw attention to the eyes.
Everyone should choose sunglasses that have good UV protection. Sunglasses labeled with a Z80.3 meet the standards for UV protection established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The American Optometry Association (AOA) also issues a label, which indicates that 99 percent of all UVA and UVB rays are blocked.
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Dr. Mitchell Koerber, with the Williamstown Eye Clinic, pointed out that it's very important that people buy sunglasses that protect eyes from both UVA and UVB rays.
"A lot of your over-the-counter, store-bought sunglasses, a lot of the time when you see them marked as 100 percent, they're blocking UVA - they're not blocking UVB," Koerber warned.
Both Flores and Koerber said many people seem to prefer large sunglasses. They said while this type of sunglasses may be trendy, they are also ideal for blocking out the sun's rays.
"We're seeing the big fad towards the bigger and bigger sunglasses," Koerber said. "A larger frame is recommended because it's going to give you more protection - you're blocking the UV light from getting to the eyes."
Charla Hall, manager of Baker & Baker Jewelers in Marietta, said she, too, has noticed that many people prefer large sunglasses.
She said the jewelry store sells Kameleon brand sunglasses, in which small pieces of jewelry, called JewelPops, can be placed.
"They're interchangeable and there are hundreds of different pops you can choose from," Hall said. "It's a line we've carried for close to two years now and it's gone over really well."
While there are many different JewelPops that can be used in the sunglasses, she said the glasses themselves also come in a wide selection.
"There are some that are real big, there are some that are smaller, there are some that have nose pieces - there are all different styles," she said.
Hall said the sunglasses start at $79.
Flores said buying sunglasses over the counter is fine, as long as the lenses in the glasses are high quality.
"It may be such a poor quality (lense) that it distorts your vision a little bit," she said.
Flores added that there are many options when it comes to sunglasses, even for people who have vision problems and need prescription sunglasses, so people should not limit themselves to just one particular look.
"You shouldn't be scared to try things on because what you think doesn't look good might look good," she said.
Koerber did recommend one particular kind of sunglasses for folks who like to spend a lot of time on the water.
"What they choose is going to be their personal preference whether it's a plastic frame or metal frame, but with a lot of people in this area living on a river and having a lot of water sports, polarized sunglasses are the best for blocking glare," he said.
