Eye Health
Photokeratitis: Snow Blindness, Welder's Flash, and Acute UV Burns to the Eye
Photokeratitis is a painful, temporary UV burn of the cornea, also known as snow blindness, arc eye, or welder's flash. Symptoms appear hours after exposure and typically resolve in 24 to 72 hours once the source is removed.
Pterygium (Surfer's Eye): A UV-Driven Growth on the Surface of the Eye
A pterygium is a fleshy, wedge-shaped growth of conjunctival tissue that creeps onto the cornea, strongly associated with chronic UV exposure, wind, and dust. Common in outdoor workers and people near the equator, it can cause irritation and, in advanced cases, vision problems.
UV-Related Cataract: How Sunlight Clouds the Lens of the Eye
A cataract is a clouding of the eye's lens that blurs vision, most often from aging but accelerated by UVB exposure. Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness worldwide, and sunglasses worn from an early age can slow their development.
UV Eye Damage: Why Sunglasses Are Medical Equipment, Not Just an Accessory
Years of unprotected outdoor exposure deliver a cumulative ultraviolet dose to the eyes that can cause permanent damage, including photokeratitis, pterygium, and cataracts. Visible-light glare reduction and UV protection are two separate functions, and ordinary clear prescription lenses already cover much of the UV side.