How do eyes get sunburned?
Yes, you can sunburn your eyes. We know, it’s a weird concept. Your eyeballs don’t have skin, so how can it be burned? Well, it can’t, but the symptoms are incredibly similar to a standard sunburn so it’s essentially a sunburn. The correct term for it would be photokeratitis and it’s very common.
Luckily, avoiding this “sunburn” is super simple. Let’s take a look and see how you can keep your peepers happy while enjoying the sun.
What is photokeratitis?
The AAO describes photokeratitis as, “a painful eye condition that occurs when your eye is exposed to invisible rays of energy called ultraviolet (UV) rays, either from the sun or from a man-made source.” That essentially boils down to a sunburn on your eye. Damage from the sun on your cornea can lead to symptoms like redness, pain, blurriness, swelling, vision distortions, sensitivity to light, and in some cases temporary vision loss. It’s not something to be taken lightly and can happen fairly quickly.
There are many situations which might cause photokeratitis, but luckily, most are easily avoidable. You can get an eye sunburn from two sources: the sun and reflective surfaces. Obviously, if you stare up at the sun without any kind of protection, you’ll be blasting your cornea with UV rays. That will certainly cause photokeratitis if you stare long enough.
The other way to get a sunburn is through reflective surfaces like snow, water, and man-made objects. Sunlight, and UV rays, are reflected off these surfaces and the intensity is decreased, but the dangers of UV rays still remain. This can be especially dangerous if you’re on a body of water or a snowy peak because there is nowhere else to look when your eyes need a break from the UV rays.
How to avoid sunburned eyes
The simplest, and most effective, way to avoid sunburns on your corneas is through eye protection. This usually comes in the form of sunglasses, as they will block all UV rays from your eyes. You can see our collection of sunglasses over at The Framery which all have 100% UV protection.
Learn how to order contact lenses online at 1-800 Contacts
Some contacts also provide UV protection, which is a nice bonus to vision correction. You can check if your lenses provide UV protection on our site. Simply look up the brand name and check the description box for more information.
Lastly, being aware of the potential danger sun poses to your eyes is important. Just remember, if your skin is at risk for a sunburn, so are your corneas. Being sure to pack sunglasses or shielding your eyes from direct sunlight can go a long way for the health of your eyeballs.
How to treat photokeratitis and when to get help
Fortunately, photokeratitis often clears up on its own. Much like a sunburn on skin, it will typically resolve itself after a few days of being inside. Most of the treatments available for photokeratitis focus on relieving symptoms rather than healing the burn.
There are several ways to lessen the symptoms of sunburned eyes:
- A cold compress:
Take a washcloth and run it under cool water, then apply it to your closed eyes with gentle pressure. Repeat as necessary. This should help reduce swelling and discomfort. - Over the counter pain medication:
Taking ibuprofen or Tylenol may relieve some pain from your eyes while they recover. - Artificial tears:
If your eyes feel dry or “gritty” then you may want to try preservative free artificial tears, which will moisten your corneas and reduce discomfort. It’s important to use preservative free artificial tears since these are gentle on already sensitive eyes and can be used more often.
If your symptoms do not subside within 1-2 days, book an appointment with your eye doctor. You may have a more severe burn or there be something else going on with your eyes. Many eye diseases have similar symptoms and so it’s important to check with your eye doctor if there’s any concern.
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