How Damaging Is The Sun To Our Eyes? - Malik Eye Care (2024)

FAQs

How Damaging Is The Sun To Our Eyes? - Malik Eye Care? ›

While signs of eye damage, these side effects of sun exposure are often short term. Keep in mind that the more you're out and about in the sun, you have a higher chance of getting more (and worse) symptoms, such as problems seeing.

UVA rays can easily get past the cornea and affect the eye's lens and retina. Overexposure from UVA rays can cause the development of cataracts and macular degeneration. UVB rays can be absorbed by the cornea. Damage from UVB rays is linked to multiple eye injuries including photokeratitis and pterygia.

What is photokeratitis? Photokeratitis is a painful eye condition caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays, most commonly from the sun. You can compare photokeratitis to sunburn, but it's a burn that affects parts of your eye instead of your skin. It's generally bilateral (affects both eyes).

The sun can do the same thing to your retina. Your eye's lens focuses light on the back of your eye so you can see clearly. But if you look directly at the sun, that focused light can burn your eye. The damage and vision loss can be permanent.

Exposure to sunlight in moderation is healthy. However, the longer your eyes are exposed to UV light, and the greater the intensity the light, the higher risk you have of developing a serious eye condition. Too much light causes eye deterioration or abnormal growths, which can lead to partial or complete blindness.

Your Skin. Researchers think the three primary types of skin cancer -- melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma -- are mostly caused by too much time in the sun. So it's very important to use sunscreen or cover up if you're going to be outside longer than 15 minutes or so.

Excessive sun exposure can increase your risk of developing eye diseases and conditions, such as cataracts, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration. It's important to always wear UV protective sunglasses. Polarized sunglasses can work, but it's important that these lenses also have UV protection.

While many types of photokeratitis are temporary, this form may affect your vision long-term. Reversing sun damage will depend on the exposure time and symptoms. If you are concerned your eyes have been sun-damaged, your best choices are to allow your eyes time to rejuvenate with cold compresses and artificial tears.

There's usually little you or your optometrist can do to reverse the damage already done to the eye. It's always better to prevent damage than try to cure it, and maintaining a healthy diet is a meaningful way to protect your vision health.

Are sunglasses good for your eyes? Sunglasses are good for your health if the lenses block UV and the sunglasses are worn correctly (with the frame's nose bridge touching your face). Eyes filter out most, but not all, UV rays. Anything that limits UV exposure to the eye alleviates risk.

Is too much light bad for your eyes? ›

There's evidence suggesting that exposure to bright light, including blue light, may contribute to retinal diseases. What, if anything, can be done to protect the eyes? Exposure to high-intensity visible light (such as staring directly at the sun) damages the retina, causing a disease called solar retinopathy.

Everybody needs some sun exposure to produce vitamin D (which helps calcium absorption for stronger and healthier bones). But unprotected exposure to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays can cause damage to the skin, eyes, and immune system. It can also cause cancer.

It is also important to note that looking directly at the sun through the camera's viewfinder or LCD screen can cause permanent damage to the eyes. To protect your eyes, experts recommend using solar eclipse glasses or a specially designed solar filter that fits over the camera's viewfinder (source: NASA).

While recovery does occur for some people, it is possible to experience permanent visual acuity deficits. Permanent retinal damage can occur when someone looks at the sun for 100 seconds or less. This is under two minutes.

Fortunately, your eyes can heal from sun damage. If you have photokeratitis, you might just need a few days. However, keep in mind that more serious conditions, such as cataracts, can be harder to reverse. For those who suspect an eye disease or another severe eye issue, contact your eye doctor right away.

The Feeling that Something is in Your Eye: If it feels like there is an unnatural substance in your eye or your eyes feel very itchy, you may have damaged them in the sun. Although your eyes may feel itchy, do not itch or rub them, this may exacerbate your symptoms and result in an infection.

Exposure doesn't take long to pose a risk. Looking directly at the sun can cause permanent eye damage in less than a minute. This happens most frequently during a solar eclipse, in part because the darkened sun feels less harmful.

Long-term consequences can result in serious vision threatening eye conditions like cataracts or macular degeneration. After exposure, symptoms appear within eight to 24 hours. Similar to burning your skin, you can experience a wide range of symptoms with an eye sunburn.

There is no scientific research to support the practice of sun gazing. However, there is evidence that the practice can be harmful. Experts agree that staring at the sun, even for a few seconds, can cause vision problems and even blindness.