Out and About July 2022 issue199

12 | OUT AND ABOUT COSTA BLANCA
Laying out at the pool, building
sandcastles on the beach, tossing a
flying disc at the park — these are
typical “fun in the sun” activities.
But with all that fun you’re
having, are you blinded
to the dangers of sun
exposure?
These are the top 5
eye conditions that
can result from sun
damage — and
your options for
treatment.
1. Aging
Ultraviolet
(UV) exposure is
responsible for 80% of
visible signs of aging.
UV rays are harmful to
your skin, and they age
you a bit more each day by
creating new wrinkles, sun spots
and looseness in the skin around
your eyes.
In addition, squinting due to the sun can
cause crow’s feet and deepen wrinkles.
Wearing protective sunglasses designed to
block UV rays helps to minimize further
damage to the skin around the eyes and all
ocular structures.
Consumers should look for ultraviolet (UV)
lens protection that is UV400 or higher. This
rating means that 99.9% of harmful UV rays
are blocked by the lens.
UV sunwear will prevent sun damage to the
delicate skin around the eye and decrease the
likelihood of the occurrence skin cancer.
2. Corneal sunburn
The cornea is the clear outer covering of the
eye and can be considered the “skin” of your
eye. Just like skin can be sunburned so can the
cornea.
A sunburn of the cornea is called
photokeratitis. Some more common names
Eye conditions linked to
sun damage
DR. M. ISABEL SIGNES-SOLER
for photokeratitis are welder’s flash, snow
blindness and arc eye. This is a painful
inflammation of the cornea caused by
unfiltered UV ray exposure.
As with most sun-related
eye conditions, prevention
involves use of proper
UV protective sunwear.
3. Cataracts
Did you know that
unfiltered UV
exposure can cause
or accelerate cataract
development?
Cataracts are a
clouding of the lens
in the eye that can
affect vision. While
this eye condition
is most commonly
associated with aging,
you can reduce your risk of
developing cataracts by wearing
proper UV-blocking sunglasses.
Cataracts that affect vision are typically
treated with surgical removal of the lens. The
clouded lens is replaced with an artificial lens
that restores vision.
4. Pinguecula and pterygia
Pinguecula and pterygia are growths on your
sclera (the white of your eye) due to excessive
Dra. Maria Isabel Signes-Soler, PhD, FAAO • Tel: 965832080