Protect Your Eyes From UV Radiation

How to Prevent Common Eye Maladies Caused by Ultra Violet Rays

Sep 13, 2009 Joe Poniatowski

Eye ailments from snow blindness to cataracts can result from too much UV radiation in the eyes. Know the symptoms and protect eyesight without spending a bundle.

It may be common knowledge that solar radiation is damaging to human skin, but the fact is, protecting one's eyes and vision is also important. Ultraviolet rays cause a number of eye afflictions, and has even been linked to cancer of the eyes. The good news is that protection is readily available and need not be overly costly.

Common Vision Problems From UV Radiation

Photokeratitis is an inflammation of the cornea caused by light. In its extreme form, it is known as "snow blindness," caused when extreme levels of UV radiation actually destroy the outer cells of the eyeball. The condition is painful and leads to blindness, however, new cells grow and it generally disappears within a few days. It occurs commonly among skiers and climbers, where higher altitudes and reflected light from snow result in more ambient light.

Fresh snow can reflect up to 80 per cent of incident UV radiation, but open water can reflect a lot of light, too. So although the condition became known as snow blindness, photokeratitis can also occur among boaters and water skiers. It is even possible to become afflicted during cloudy conditions.

A similar condition is photoconjunctivitis, which as the name implies, is the inflammation of the conjunctiva. These membranes of eyelids and eye sockets are skin-like in nature, and become in effect sunburned by UV radiation. Like photokeratitis, photoconjunctivitis is painful, but usually clears up in a few days.

UV radiation can also cause cataracts. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 16 million people a year go blind from cataracts, and that 20% of these cases result from excess UV radiation. That means that over 3 million people a year are going blind unnecessarily, when adequate protection is easily available.

UV Protection for the Eyes

The easiest form of protection against excess UV radiation in the eyes is simply a good pair of sunglasses. UV protecting sunglasses block 98 to 100% of UVA and UVB rays, providing effective protection from UV-related afflictions. The wrap-around type of glasses are the most effective, but aren’t usually necessary under normal circumstances.

For outdoor enthusiasts, goggles, helmets, and face shields are all available with UV protection. For riders with an old favorite helmet, tinting treatments are available at most motor-sports stores which can add UV protection to existing face shields. Less costly but nearly as effective as these treatments are sheets of tinted film that can be cut to size and rolled on.

More Expensive Doesn’t Mean Better UV Protection

There seems to be no correlation between price and level of protection. In several studies, there have been no significant differences in the effectiveness between the discount varieties and their expensive counterparts. In fact, in one study conducted by WCBS TV, a pair of $6.95 generic glasses out-performed the designer shades.

What to Look For in UV Protection

The Federal Drug Administration recommends eye-wear that blocks 99 to 100 per cent of UVA and UVB radiation (the two types of Ultraviolet light that reach the earth with levels considered dangerous). Sunglasses whose labels say they provide 100% UVA and UVB protection, or specify “UV 400” protection meet this recommendation. More expensive designer brands may offer a wider selection of colors and styles, but any sunglasses with these ratings will provide adequate eye protection.

References

The World Health Organization, "The Known Health Effects of UV"

Leow YH, Tham SN. "UV-protective sunglasses for UVA irradiation protection." Int J Dermatol. 1995 Nov;34(11):808-10. PMID 8543419

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, “Sunglasses and fashion spectacles,” April 2003

WCBS TV, “Some Sunglasses Are Cheap in Price Only”

The copyright of the article Protect Your Eyes From UV Radiation in General Medicine is owned by Joe Poniatowski. Permission to republish Protect Your Eyes From UV Radiation in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

The sun gives life, but can cause vision problems

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