Some people still choose to walk under the sun without wearing sunglasses. We are always reminded that wearing sunglasses outdoors is a must for UV protection. Your eyes can get sunburned or worse if you get too much UV light. Photokeratitis is the condition when you have sunburned eyes.
Do not stress too much if you hear that you have photokeratitis because it is common when you spend short stints in the sun and it will be gone after a few days. If you know that you will be working or spending some time in an area with a high volume of UV, you might want to be careful because you can experience severe eye problems.
Now that you are aware of the potential effect of UV light exposure, you might be wondering if your eyes can heal from sun damage. The answer is yes, it can heal from sun damage if it is a mild case of photokeratitis. The condition goes away within a short time frame as long as you get out of the sun right away.
Is It Possible to Reverse Sun Damage to Your Eyes?
These are the following symptoms that you should watch out for:
- Feeling that you have a foreign material like sand in your eyes
- Bloodshot eyes
- You are vulnerable to bright lights
- Watery eyes
The side effects of sun exposure are usually short-term. The only thing that you need to remember is the longer you are out in the sun, the higher chance you have of getting more and worse symptoms which include problem seeing. The chance of obtaining age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or cataracts is increased because of the consistent UV exposure without eye protection.
Remember that eye diseases including cataracts are not easy to get rid of. You will need to consult with your eye doctor for the best treatment to be given for sun damage to your eyes. You will be needing a few days if you have photokeratitis. The more serious the condition, the harder it is to be reversed. Even if your eyes can heal from sun damage, it is still the best to protect your eyes.
Eyes Can Be Damaged Due to Sun Glare
Snow blindness or photokeratitis occurs when you look directly straight to the sun or reflect in a beach, ice, lake, or snow. Sun glare can damage your eyes. Sun rays are not the only type of UV light that can damage your eyes. Any type of UV light can affect your eyes whether it is from indoors or outdoors. Consider getting UV-blocking sports goggles if you work in a hazardous environment with a lot of UV radiation.