Ultraviolet (UV) light is just outside of our visual range. It's fairly energetic and causes changes to human tissue. This should be fairly obvious since it tans the skin, causes sun burns, prematurely ages the skin, and can damage the eyes. Just as some types of people are more likely to suffer from skin cancer because of UV exposure, some types of people have a better than average chance of suffering from UV related eye damage.
There are two general factors that contribute to this vulnerability: your genetics and external circumstances that increase your exposure to sunlight.
Your Genetics
Just as fair-skinned people have a higher incidence of skin cancer, people with light-colored eyes such as blue or green have a higher risk of melanoma
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It simply takes more of it. It may not cause the same level of discomfort, but it still interferes with a clear view of the road when driving.
Your External Circumstances
There are many non-genetic external factors that affect your risk of UV related eye damage. These include:
You're an Outdoors Person
This makes sense since UV eye damage is a cumulative process. Your risk of UV eye problems later in life is the sum of all the hours spent every day in the sun. This includes cloudy days. Some activities are especially risky. These include skiing, mountain climbing, time at the beach, and boating. Nike sunglasses have a large selection that accommodates the needs of most outdoor enthusiasts and athletes.
You Live in Mountainous or Sunbelt States
The higher your altitude, the less protective atmosphere above you to protect against UV light. This means you get a higher rate of exposure than someone living at sea level.
Thick clouds and bad weather do block some UV light. However, sunbelt states are predominantly sunny, which means you get more UV exposure than those who live elsewhere. The southerly locale of the sunbelt states also means the sun is higher overhead during all seasons of the year. Sunglasses are a must for those living in areas with high UV
The other cause is the degree of pigmentation of the skin. Individuals with the highest risk are people who live in sunny places and people who have fair skin. The areas of the body that are the most exposed to sunlight are the areas of the face and head. Here, cancer is more likely to develop. (Bair, 1991, P. 368).
Most people are exposed to large amount UVA rays in their lifetime.They account for up to ninety-five percent of
Ultraviolet, or UV rays can damage skin cells which can lead to skin cancer. The SPF on sunscreen bottles stands for Sun Protection Factor, and refers to how well the sunscreen protects our skin against one type of UV radiation, called UVB. Some of the UV radiation from the sun still gets through the sunscreen and gets absorbed by our skin. Sunscreens are usually made up
Since UV radiation is so damaging, always wear UV-blocking sunglasses, and start wearing proper eye protection at an early age.
Unfortunately, continued exposure to harsh UV rays without any sort of protection can lead to cataracts, which is a serious eye condition that can ultimately cause blindness. Like your surfboard and sunscreen, your sunglasses should be a permanent part of your surf gear.
One major problem I always seem to encounter is being exposed to the sun for too long. Ever since I was a child I
The sun contributes to different health conditions, in its own way. Nonmelanoma and melanoma are both a result of the harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Even though basking in the sun on a beach may seem fun and enjoyable, the excessive exposure to the sun can change the texture and look of the skin, resulting in skin damage. Cataracts, which are also caused by increased UV exposure, can cause an individual to lose their sight, if not treated. Increased heat can also cause dehydration. The immune system can be greatly affected by excessive sun exposure, affecting the body’s ability to fight infections.
As it was mentioned above, ultraviolet radiation is main risk factor that increases the risk of getting skin cancer. UVA and UVB are the main culprits. However UVB cause the most damaged by directly effecting DNA of the skin cells. The damage target parts of DNA that have the genes that control skin cell growth. Most importantly melanocyte cells begin to over grow and masses of cells are seen on skin which are what were refer to as mole.
Some people think having a tan gives them a "healthy glow." But a tan really shows that the skin is trying to protect itself from sun damage. Sun damage can lead to premature aging (wrinkles!), eye damage, and skin cancer.When a type of radiation (ultraviolet [UV] radiation) is exposed to the skin, the skin responds by producing melanin. Melanin is a dark substance that helps prevent the body from taking in too many harmful sun-rays that can damage skin.The sun produces two kinds of rays, UVA and UVB. UVB rays are around all year and UVA rays are mostly present only during the summer. UVA rays are regarded as "safer" and they cause the skin to age, while UVB rays cause the skin to burn. However, both of these types of rays are harmful and
2. Melanoma is also more common in people who live in areas with large amounts of UV
If your family history includes sensitivity to the sun, you are at risk of developing a sun allergy. Embedded in our immune systems are genes to protect our skin. When the system defenses are overpowered physically, a chemical change occurs inside of the body triggering the immune system to react with one of the
This is in contrast to sand beaches, which only reflect between 10 to 25%. If you live in the snow belt states, the ground can be covered with snow for months at a time. When you walk outside or drive during the day, your eyes are getting more UV exposure than you would in the summer.
Cover Up: One of the best ways to protect your eyes from sun damage is to wear quality sunglasses. Sunglasses should transmit no more than 1% UVB and 1% UVA. Even if you wear contact lenses you’ll want to cover up to protect over-drying from warm wind.
Patients who suffer from it often complain of persistent severe dryness and cracking of the lips, resulting in extreme pain in addition to looking bad. This damage done by sun exposure does not stop at the skin and eyes, even though the suns damaging UV rays hit only the outside of our bodies, the inside of our bodies can be affected by the sun too. Risk estimations have been performed by the National Institute of Public Health and the Environment. It is estimated that UV doses relevant to outdoor exposure can ruin proper function of the body’s immune system. This will affect the bodied natural resistance to infectious agents, such as bacteria, parasites, viruses, and fungi. It sounds like our mothers were wrong when they told us that we needed to go outside and get some sun.
Now onto sunscreen and what it does. The main goal of sunscreen is the help block the ultraviolet rays of the sun. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation (July 2012), each year an estimated 3.5 million or more new cases occur in the US of the nonmelanoma skin cancers. While skin cancer may not kill you, it can also lead to photoaging. Photoaging, or UV-induced skin aging, is another long-term result of sun exposure. Excessive unprotected time in the sun leads to premature wrinkling, sagging, a leathery texture and hyperpigmentation (so-called “aging