UV Safety Awareness Month: Protecting Your Eyes from UV Damage

July is UV Safety Awareness Month, which makes this a great time to learn important information about ways to protect your eyes from potential damage due to exposure to ultraviolet radiation. While you may already be aware that overexposing your skin to the sun’s UV rays can cause sunburn and skin cancer, you may not be aware that UV exposure can also cause significant eye damage, vision problems, and even eyelid cancer.

This article explains the potential short- and long-term effects of UV exposure on your eye health, explores the symptoms of eye damage to look for, and offers concrete steps you can take today to protect your eye health and your vision from UV damage.

What Is UV Light and How Do Ultraviolet Rays Damage Your Eyes?

Ultraviolet light — referred to as UV light and ultraviolet rays — is a form of electromagnetic radiation that is invisible to the human eye. UV light easily penetrates eye tissues. Exposure to UV light from the sun or other sources increases the risk of developing eye disease. UV light exposure can result in several eye diseases, including:

• Cataracts. A cataract — a cloudy area in the eye’s lens — makes vision blurry or hazy. Prolonged exposure to UV rays leads to cataract formation because it modifies lens proteins.
• Surfer’s Eye. Pterygium, also called surfer’s eye, can result from long-term exposure to the sun. Surfer’s eye is usually visible as a growth that extends from either the inner eye near the nose or the outer eye near the ear toward the cornea. People with pterygium often experience dry eye disease as well.
• Pinguecula. A pinguecula is a protein and fat deposit that appears in the white part of the eye. A result of sun exposure, it causes irritation and, in some cases, impacts how tears cover the eye.
• Eyelid cancer. UV exposure can cause basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma on the eyelids. Too much sun can also cause melanoma, the most serious form of cancer, which can be deadly if it spreads inside your body.
• AMD. While not definitively established, the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration may increase with prolonged UV exposure. People with macular degeneration experience blurred central vision.

UV Damage to Eyes: Symptoms of Sun Damage

Symptoms of UV eye damage don’t manifest immediately. The longer your eyes are exposed to dangerous sun rays, the greater the likelihood you could develop UV-related eye disease later on. This is why it’s so important to take the preventative measures outlined below.

If you suspect you have sun-related eye damage, one of the first indications may be developing an inflammation of the cornea. This condition, known as photokeratitis, comes with one or more of the following symptoms:

• Eye redness
• Swelling
• Blurry vision
• Light sensitivity
• Eyelid twitching
• Short-term vision loss
• Tears

If you experience any of these sun damage to eyes symptoms, it’s important to see an eye care professional to be evaluated.

UV Safety: How to Protect Your Eyes from Sun Damage

While the summer days are longer and present more opportunities for the sun’s rays to damage your eyes, it’s important to protect your eyes from sun damage year-round. And don’t be fooled into a false sense of security when it’s cloudy outside. UV rays penetrate cloud coverage and can still cause a lot of damage on a cloudy day.

To protect your eyes from sun damage:

• Avoid looking directly at the sun, even when it seems like the sun won’t bother you, like on a cloudy day or during a solar eclipse
• Always wear UV eye protection sunglasses — preferably full-coverage wraparound styles — that offer 100% UV protection
• Wear a hat with a broad brim whenever you are outside in the daylight
• Limit your outdoor time when the sun is brightest, usually from 10 am until 4 pm

Keep Yourself Safe From UV Rays Year Round

While having a dedicated UV safety awareness month is important, the retina specialists at Mid Atlantic Retina encourage you to keep UV radiation dangers top of mind whenever you venture outdoors.

If you suspect that you’ve experienced UV eye damage from sun exposure, our eye physicians can help. Not only do we offer the latest in diagnostics and testing, but we also employ the most technologically advanced treatments.

To learn more about Mid Atlantic Retina’s services, make an appointment with a Mid-Atlantic Retina specialist today at 800-331-6634.