What UV Damage Actually Does to Your Eyes
It can be a hassle to remember to wear sunscreen. You may want a tan, but there’s one thing that you should never skip when going outside and that’s wearing sunglasses. Most of us know that UV rays can be harmful for the skin. The sun’s radiation is linked to skin cancer and many know that it can cause wrinkles or premature aging. Did you know that UVA and UVB rays from the sun can also wreak serious havoc on your vision?
Keep reading below to see the damage it can cause. After you do, I doubt you’ll leave home without your sunglasses again.
Long-term and short-term exposure to the sun cause eye disease, affect your vision, and generally has a negative effect on your eye health. Here are some examples of what UV damage actually does to your eyes:
Cataracts
Up to 10% of all cataract cases can be directly attributed to UV exposure. Cataracts clouds of the lens of your eye, making it more difficult to see.
Macular Degeneration
The longer you expose your eyes to UV light, the greater the chances are of you damaging your retina. This damage is called Advanced Macular Degeneration or (AMD). It is the leading cause of age-related blindness. If you keep exposing your eyes to the sun and UV rays, they may make you blind someday.
Pterygium
This is a pink, non-cancerous growth that forms on the white of your eye. I’ve had friends who have had them, and it kind of looks like a floating pink blob in their eyes. UV light is a key factor in the development of these growths. My friends who have had them are women who grew up in the sun, outdoors all the time for sports, and rarely wore sunglasses. Sometimes they call the condition surfer’s eye, since it’s common among these athletes.
Photokeratitis
This is essentially sunburn on your cornea – a result of high exposure to UV rays in a short amount of time. This can especially affect skiers (they call it “snow blindness”) or anyone who is outdoors in high sun for long hours without proper UV protection on their eyes. Just like a sunburn on any other part of your body, it hurts! It may also cause temporary blindness.
Do you have proper UVA/UVB protective eyewear? If not, go visit your closest America’s Best to find sunglasses that are both stylish and will keep your eyes healthy!
