By a good day, you could be particularly careful to wear a sunscreen to avoid sunburn. But is the skin the only part of the body that can develop this painful red rash? For example, can your eyes get the sun burning?
According to experts, Sunburn can also appear on some of our most delicate organs: our eyes.
“Photokeratitis is the technical term,” Dr Steven QuanAn optometrist at the University of Chicago Medical Center, told Live Science. “The idea is the UV (ultraviolet) radiation of the sun, prolonged exposure or a very strong exposure of any type of radiation can cause burn to corneal epithelial cells.”
The cornea is the external surface of the eye. Like the glass on the face of a wristwatch, the crystalline surface acts as a protective blanket for all below, Dr ESEN AKPEKProfessor of ophthalmology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, told Live Science. The cornea is made up of five layers: The epithelium, the bowman layer, the stroma, the membrane and the descend. The most external layer, the epithelium, is a very thin but difficult surface which protect the eye dust, water and bacteria. It also distributes oxygen and absorbed nutrients from tears to the rest of the cornea.
“What happens to the eye when you get an exposure to UVs is that the epithelial layer loses its resilience. Part of it is destroyed,” said Akpek. “Sometimes it can relax completely, and it is very, very, extremely painful, because just below the level of the epithelium, there is a rich nervous plexus.”
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The epithelial cells of the cornea are similar to those of our skin, and like skin cells, they develop, die and repel constantly.
“It’s a natural process,” said Akpek. “But turnover is at a certain pace. When the whole layer of epithelium has disappeared, the regenerative cells cannot regenerate fairly quickly, so the cornea becomes naked.”
When exposed to lower UV levels, epithelial cells can all die at the same time, rather than their naturally offset rates, Akpek said. But at very high levels of exposure, UV can also kill stem cells that give birth to newly generated cells, causing corneal scars and even blindness. “It’s very rare, but it can happen,” said Akpek.
Most of the time, photokokeratitis is resolved alone, but it can cause intense eye pain, redness, blurred vision, swelling and headache, according to the American ophthalmology academy.
The condition is the most frequent in people who do not carry appropriate eye protection during activities that expose them to an intense ultraviolet radiation, such as welding, said Akpek. People with hobbies or snow-related professions are also at risk of a form of photokokeratitis often called “snow blindness“In which the UV rays are reflected on the snow and damage the cornea. Snow blindness is more frequent in high snow areas and ice cover, such as north and southern poles or high mountains.
But Quan said that light corneal lesions can occur even when people do more common activities, such as pleasure or gardening. UV rays can also reflect surfaces such as sand or water. Although the lifestyle of each person is different, he generally said wearing a hat or sunglasses that block 100% of UV rays is a good way to prevent damage to the eyes.
“Some people get more enveloping sunglasses depending on their activities,” said Quan. “(If) you are on the water, you are on the slopes – these things where you get a reflectance below – your hat will not really cover you. This is where the sunglasses are better. If your work, or whatever you do, it is very difficult to wear sunglasses, and the hat is really all you need for higher protection, you are probably well.
Although photookeratitis is often called “eye sunburn”, this generally does not lead to a tumor on the cornea of the way a sunburn can increase the risk of tumors on the skin. But exposure to UV can cause tumors of the eyelids, which is technically skin cancer, said quant. Wearing sunglasses can help protect against both skin cancer On the eyelids and photookeratitis and must be worn even in winter.
“People are less attentive or conscious as in winter, they are just as in danger as they are in summer,” said Quan. “The quantity of UV you get can generally be even higher.”