How does it affect me?
UV light, or also known as ultraviolet light is a type of electromagnetic radiation that is given off from the sun and allows life to thrive naturally and correctly. Although UV rays sound great, they also come with some unwanted side effects if someone experiences too much exposure. A minor inconvenience could be a sunburn or a dark tan, but too much UV rays can lead to the damage of living tissues. Most people do understand the dangers that they risk when they experience large amounts of exposure to the Sun’s UV rays when it comes to the skin, although not nearly as much people worry about their eyes.
Although people know that it is important to wear sunscreen to prevent skin damage or reduce the risk of skin cancer, not enough think about the eyes which are very vulnerable and can be damaged easily if not taken care of. For instance, if your eyes ever feel a slight burn on them after being exposed to UV radiation for an extended period, then your eyes are most likely feeling photokeratitis. Photokeratitis can be painful and feels like a sunburn on the eye. The damage and burning will depend on the levels of UV light experienced.
What different types of UV rays are there?
UV rays aren’t as simple as they seem as there are 3 different types of ultraviolet all ranging in strength and danger.
UVC rays
These rays are most likely the most dangerous rays there is as they can easily damage your eyes and skin and other living tissues. Although long amounts of exposure can damage your eyesight, thankfully the ozone layer protects us from most of these strong rays. But our dependency on the Ozone layer could mean that if it is depleted or weakened at some point that the number of injuries or conditions caused by UVC rays could rise. The number of conditions could arise as a result of our protection from UVC being removed from us, leaving us vulnerable.
UVB rays
UVB rays have wavelengths that are slightly longer than UVC rays at around 285-315 nanometers but have somewhat lower energy than the stronger but shorter UVC rays. These rays are weaker than UVC rays but are only partially obstructed by the ozone layer and quite a bit of UVB rays still reach our surface. In lower amounts of exposure, UVB rays stimulate the production of melanin. Increased amounts of melanin can lead to tanning and sunburns. Although in high amounts, UVB rays can cause extreme sunburns or increase the risk of skin cancer. These rays can also cause skin discolorations, wrinkles, and other types of premature aging in the skin. UVB can cause eye-related issues such as photokeratitis, pinguecula, and pterygium. Thankfully, the cornea is known to absorb 100% of all UVB rays, so they are unable to cause conditions such as cataracts and macular degeneration.
UVA rays
UVA rays are the last of the three types and have lower energy than both UVB and UVC but can reach past the cornea and enter the retina. When comparing the different types of UV, a pattern shows itself. The pattern seems to represent that the less powerful the ray, the longer its range. Since UVA rays can reach past the cornea and enter both the lens and the retina, elongated periods of exposure to UVA rays are thought to cause different issues. These issues can be quite serious and examples of these complications are cataracts and macular degeneration.
THE RISKS OF UV
Anybody that exposes themselves to UV rays does risk damage to their eyes but UV damage does have a list of factors that can contribute to the risk your eyes have to take when they come in contact with UV. The amount and level of exposure that someone encounters when they go outside depend on several conditions.
Geographic Location
The level of UV exposure from rays depends on your distance from the equator as the equator is one of the closest points to the sun on earth. The closer to the equator you are the more powerful the UV rays are.
Altitude
Along with geographic location, your altitude also matters when it comes to the strength of the UV light around you. The higher you are and the closer you are to the sun, then the stronger the UV radiation will be.
Time of Day
The radiation of the sun is at its strongest in the very middle of the day. This is when the sun is at its full strength and when the sun covers the surface the most. The middle of the day is between 10 a.m and 2 p.m.
Setting
The setting also matters as being in a wide-open area gives much more space for UV rays to shine down on rather than being in a closed-off shaded area. As said before, being in wide-open areas can make it hard to attempt to avoid UV rays and highly reflective surfaces can just concentrate the harsh sunlight, which produces more and more UV radiation. UV rays can even reflect off of surfaces such as sand or snow. Since urban areas have much more tall buildings and shady trees, living in urban areas will most likely mean that you will come across UV rays much less often than someone that lives in a rural area with plenty of sunlight.
Medication
Certain medications can increase your sensitivity to UV light such as tetracycline, sulfa drugs, birth control medications, diuretics, and tranquilizers.
How to protect yourself against UV rays
The most popular, and easiest way to protect yourself from harmful UV rays is to wear sunglasses when you plan to go outside for longer than just a few moments. If possible, it is best to look for sunglasses of good quality that claim to block out 100% of all UV rays. If you feel necessary it can be helpful to ask and consult your optician on what is the best kind of pair for you. Depending on your hobbies it is also possible to search for athletic glasses or performance glasses, but normal pairs should either be wraparound kinds of glasses with large lenses to cover the eye and the skin around it. The type doesn’t matter nor does the color of the lenses, it is just important that the lenses work well and fully cover the eyes.
Conclusion and Sources
Although skin can be damaged and should also be taken care of, eyes can receive a myriad of side effects from a lack of proper care for the eye.