Eyelids are designed specifically to protect our eyes from the sun’s light. However, your eyelids are very thin, so your eyes can still be harmed from the UV light. This is especially true for people who wear contact lenses. Keep reading to find out what sun damage can do to your eyes.
First, people can get eyelid cancer from excessive amounts of sunlight. This can be a scary thing to hear, and it is very serious. The lower lid actually receives the most sunlight exposure.
Intraocular melanoma is another effect of solar damage. The middle layer of the eye contains the pupil which lies in the center of the iris. Symptoms of intraocular melanoma are blurred vision and changed pupil shape.
Cataracts, though very commonly developed with age, are thought to be caused by sun damage. They are a progressive clouding and yellowing of the lens. In fact, 10% of cataract cases are caused by solar exposure. More than one million people in the United States have operations to remove cataracts every year. This number could be decreased by people avoiding being in the sun for extended periods of time and also wearing great sunglasses.
We understand that you want to get outside and enjoy the sunshine. A lot of people spend too much time outside without protecting their eyes, leading to many problems. For more information about how to protect your eyes from the sun, contact us today at (323) 778-7799.
