Did you know that sun beds can burn your eyes?

Whether you’re due a sunny holiday and want a base tan or the weather is cold and wet, many people turn to using a sunbed to get that desired ‘summer glow’.

As everybody is made well aware using sunbeds can pose a serious risk of developing skin cancer. This information is publicised widely and often one of the first thoughts that spring to mind when somebody thinks of a sunbed, but what many people aren’t aware of is that it can also have a huge detrimental effect on your eyes!

The UV light from the sunbed can directly damage your eyes, it is therefore now a law that all tanning salons must provide eye goggles, often called ‘winkies’. These goggles decrease the UV exposure to your eyes but many people don’t wear them to avoid ‘panda eyes’.

The skin of your eyelid is very thin and delicate, so simply closing your eyes will not protect them enough against the powerful UV rays. This is true even for natural sunlight and is the reason that sunglasses with proper UV protection are essential.

If you do not wear your winkies there are a number of things caused by the increased UV exposure to your eyes, these include:

• Conjunctivitis – this is an inflammation and redness of the eye
• Photokeratitis – sunburn of the cornea (front of the eye)
• Cataracts – a clouding of the eyes’ lens
• Pterygium – a benign growth that develops on the surface of the eye
• Uveal melanoma – eye cancer

Some of the above conditions can be treated using prescription eye drops, such as conjunctivitis or photokeratitis. Cataracts and pterygiums can only be treated by surgical procedures. Cataract surgery requires a surgeon to remove the clouded lens and replace it with an artificial one and pterygium surgery removes the lump from the surface. However, the last on the list, uveal melanoma is a serious type of cancer which can be difficult to treat.

It is important to remember that you only have one pair of eyes to last you your whole lifetime. Safeguarding your eyesight should be a priority, so ALWAYS remember to wear the proper protection if using a sunbed or in the sun.

If you suffer from cataracts or have a pterygium that require treatment please click here to contact us.