Excessive Sun Exposure And Impact On The Eyes
                     Excessive Sun Exposure And Impact On The Eyes
Rosalina Wolf
Writer at our-opinions-tips.com 
Made many article contributions to 
http://our-opinions-tips.com/
Excessive sun exposure can have an adverse impact on our eyes. Macular 
degeneration develops when the photoreceptors, which comprise the 
retina at the back of the eye that is responsible for seeing color and detail, 
die off. This can lead to blurred vision and headaches as well as an 
inability to see fine text. A cataract is a general term for clouding of the 
lens that can cause loss of vision. Pterygium is another name for 
keratoconjunctivitis sicca, which is an irritation or inflammation of the 
cornea that makes it hard for light to pass through
The effects of excessive sun exposure on the eye can be varied, but 
include a chance for cataracts and other health problems, damage to the 
retina or other parts of the eye that contorts light rays in the eyes. Possible 
effects include macular degeneration (degeneration) of the retina that 
causes blurred vision, photokeratitis (eye inflammation from sunlight) 
which damages skin surrounding the eyes, and pterygium (perforated 
membrane) either on or adjacent to the cornea (the clear front lid).
Suntanned skin is not only associated with damage to the skin (melanoma 
being the most noticeable), but also with problems such as vision loss, eye 
disorders, and others. Moderate sun exposure is beneficial for your health. 
It allows the body to produce vitamin D and protects against cancer, heart 
disease, and depression. However, excessive sun exposure can damage 
the body and lead to cancer, brain diseases, and other complications.
These are the potential short-term and long-term effects of sun exposure 
on the eyes. I will talk about them in order, from the shortest exposure to 
the longest
Photokeratitis:
One of the first eye conditions caused by ultraviolet exposure is 
photokeratitis or ultraviolet keratopathy. This causes swelling or 
inflammation of the cornea (the clear front covering of your eye). You 
can experience many symptoms such as redness, blurred vision, tears, 
light sensitivity, or general pain in your eyes. Photokeratitis is usually 
caused by not wearing protective gear from the sun when out in the sun 
for a long time.
Pinguecula:
The eye condition that can result from sun exposure is called pinguecula. This 
presents as a white or yellow bump within the firm tissue, which is named the 
conjunctiva and covers the white of the eye just outside of the colored part. This 
is common in those who live in very sunny areas or even sandy, dusty 
environments. It presents as a raised area within the conjunctiva, which is the 
gelatinous layer that covers the white of the eye. This form of pinguecula is 
particularly common in those who live in very sunny areas or areas with dusty 
environments. As the pinguecula will not go away on its own once it presents 
itself, it can be treated if it becomes red and swollen with various eye drops.
Macular Degeneration:
If not treated, long-term sun exposure can lead to retinal damage or macular 
degeneration, which is the deterioration of the retina. The retina is the lining of 
tissue in a person’s eye. It’s made up of multiple layers, with the centermost layer 
being called the macula. With macular degeneration, the composition within the 
macula changes and causes loss of central vision. Some people might have 
blurred vision or blank spaces in their sight.
Pterygium:
A pterygium is a growth of tissue that is thick and often visible as a white, wedge-
shaped growth over clear tissue. If it continues to grow, then it might lead to 
scarring of the cornea which could lead to permanent vision loss or distortion. If 
the pterygium is progressing, surgery is required. Removing a pterygium to save 
one’s vision isn’t without controversy, however. In fact, it’s rather common for the 
pterygium to grow back after removal. However, there have been some recent 
advances in the procedure that are helping to reduce the likelihood of recurrence 
by using other tissues or various compounds/agents during removal.
Cataract:
The fourth eye condition from long-term exposure to the sun (we are talking 
years of constant sun exposure), is a cataract. It’s thought that we will all develop 
cataracts over time if we live long enough, but there’s some evidence that those 
who have constant exposure to the sun won’t develop them as quickly, such as 
those in tropical climates.
The sun is the most common cause of blindness in the world. The ultraviolet 
radiation from the sun is responsible for many eye diseases like cataracts and age-
related macular degeneration (AMD).
Conclusion:
Injuries are most commonly caused by overexposure to the sun. Potential risk 
factors include long-term outdoor activity, repetitive stress on the eyes, 
nearsightedness, and some eye diseases. Injury can occur even with proper 
protection such as sunglasses or UV filters. Most people who have chronic 
exposure to sunlight do not develop any eye disease or injury but overexposure 
still increases your risk.
Our-opinions-tips.com is a website focused on covering unbiased and 
functional information on wide range of significant topics that might be 
useful and interesting in your everyday living. The topics provided are 
across from different fields including home, recreation, health, business, 
science, society etc. For more details on the categories, visit http://our-
opinions-tips.com/
       Thank you for spending your precious time in reading this article.