Natural Health October 2017

PREVENTION & Remedies
Protect Your Eyes
from UV Rays while
at the Beach
Even though we cannot see ultraviolet radiation (UV), it
can damage our eyes. Two kinds of UV radiation affecting
our eyes are UV-B and UV-A. Type B ultraviolet radiation
is in the wavelengths 280 to 314 nanometers. Thought
the earth’s ozone layer helps protect us from it, with
the degradation of that layer because of environmental
factors, we are exposed to more UV-B than ever before.
UV-A has wavelengths ranging from 315 to 399
nanometers and is not absorbed by the ozone layer.
Whether we are exposed to direct
UV radiation that’s sunlight or artificial
light (tanning beds, lasers, welding
machinery), UV radiation can harm
our eyes. Indirect UV exposure comes
from reflections off beach sand,
snow, pavements and other surfaces.
These reflections may burn the outside
surface of our eyes, which is a
temporary condition.
Long-term exposure to UV-B radiation
may also cause pteryglum, which is a
growth over either the cornea or the
corner of the eye. Though this condition
is usually not cancerous, it affects
vision and surgery may be necessary
to improve vision. Exposure to UV-B
radiation may also cause macular
degeneration (which affects the macular
part of the retina) and skin cancer
around the eyelids. UV radiation may
also cause snow blindness, a condition
that burns the cornea. It is usually a
temporary condition.
Wear Sunglasses for
Protection
When buying protective sunglasses, we
should look for a label that says that
the glasses protect against 99 percent
to 100 percent of UV-A and UV-B. If
the label says “UV absorption up to
400nm” this is the same as blocking
100 percent of UV radiation. Research
shows UV rays can enter around regular
eyeglass frames. That’s why wraparound
sunglasses provide added protection for
the eyes because they block UV radiation
from the side and overhead.
Eye Ailments Ultraviolet
Radiation Causes
Long-term exposure to UV-B radiation may
cause cataracts, which cloud the lens of
the eye and may cause blurred vision.
The American Optometric Association
defines long-term exposure as small
amounts of UV exposure over
many years.
Conditions That Put
Our Eyes at Risk
Sunglasses offer protections
against eye damage from UV
radiation. If we work and play in
the sun and water at any beach,
we should wear sunglasses. The
Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) recommends wearing
sunglasses every day. We should
be careful on cloudy days too
because ultraviolet light penetrates
haze. If we have had cataracts
removed, take birth control pills,
water pills, tetracycline or sulfa
medications, we are at higher risk
of eye damage from UV rays.
Since damage to eyes is cumulative, we
should start wearing eyeglasses early.
The Environmental Protection Agency
suggests that children and adults wear
sunglasses daily. Teenagers and people
in their 20s who spend a lot of time
outdoors are sometimes diagnosed with
pteryglum. While most of us choose
sunglasses with dark lenses, the tint is
less important than the necessity that
the lens have a UV coating. Talk to our
ophthalmologist or optometrist about
what tint is most suitable for our activities.
Natural Health * October 2017 VOL 84
51