Sunburned eyeballs1/7/2024 ![]() Simply wear sunglasses that block 100 percent of the sun’s UV rays whenever you are outdoors during daylight. ![]() Preventing snow blindness couldn’t be easier. If your symptoms persist longer than a day or two, or if symptoms worsen after 24 hours, see an eye doctor immediately. You also may find that placing a cool, dampened washcloth over your closed eyelids is comforting.ĭo not rub your eyes. Be sure to use only pain relievers you know you can take without worry of an allergic reaction or other complication. ![]() Choose preservative-free formulations for mild dry eyes to prevent a sensitivity reaction from preservatives or worsened blurred vision from drops that are too thick.įor additional relief, use over-the-counter pain relievers, being careful not to exceed the recommended dosage on the label. Keep your eyes well-moistened with artificial tears. To relieve pain or discomfort from snow blindness, stay indoors and wear sunglasses. If you wear contact lenses, you should remove them immediately and refrain from wearing them again until your eyes return to normal. Snow blindness is scary, but usually it’s temporary, and there are ways to relieve the discomfort. The symptoms of snow blindness typically resolve on their own within a day or two without medical treatment. Color vision also may be affected temporarily while you are snowblind. Though snow blindness doesn’t cause actual blindness, vision can be significantly impaired, making it unsafe to drive. Vision loss from snow blindness is temporary and typically resolves in 24 to 48 hours. A gritty feeling or sensation that something is “in” the eye.Symptoms of Snow BlindnessĪnderson Cooper’s symptoms were typical of a person suffering from snow blindness, including the fact that they occurred (or worsened significantly) a few hours after the UV exposure took place - just like the delayed symptoms of sunburned skin. Sun lamps and tanning booths also can cause photokeratitis and temporary “snow” blindness if proper eye protection is not used. Though this type of injury usually is called a “flash burn” of the cornea, the mechanism of action and symptoms are very much the same as those of snow blindness. ![]() Not only can you become snowblind without snow - it can happen without sunlight, too! Photokeratitis sometimes occurs from man-made sources of ultraviolet radiation, such as a welder’s torch. “It turns out I…sunburned my eyeballs,” he said on his television show, Anderson Live. Television journalist Anderson Cooper experienced snow-free snow blindness first-hand a few years ago when he spent a couple hours on a boat in Portugal without sunglasses and ended up “blind for 36 hours,” according to his report of the incident.Īfter the day in the sun, he woke up in the middle of the night with symptoms of burning eyes and a feeling there was sand or grit in his eyes. Make sure the lenses block 100 percent of UV rays.īut water and white sand also are highly reflective of the sun’s UV rays and increase the risk of snow blindness. To prevent snow blindness on the slopes, wear sunglasses with a close-fitting, wrap-style frame or snow goggles. Combined, these factors can double your risk of getting sunburned eyes, compared with being outdoors at lower altitudes in the summertime. Also, skiing, mountain climbing and snowboarding usually take place at relatively high altitudes, where the sun’s UV rays are stronger. In fact, snow can reflect more than 80 percent of the UV rays that fall upon it. The terms “snowblind” and “snow blindness” have become popular because snow is highly reflective of ultraviolet radiation. Though photokeratitis is commonly called snow blindness, the condition can (and often does) occur in the absence of snow. And like sunburned skin, by the time you notice symptoms of snow blindness, you’ve already been in the sun too long. The medical term for snow blindness is photokeratitis (“photo” = light “keratitis” = inflammation of the cornea).Įssentially, snow blindness is caused by a sunburned eye - or more specifically, a sunburned cornea. Snow blindness is a painful, temporary loss of vision due to overexposure to the sun’s UV rays. Thankfully, it’s a condition that is totally preventable. Snow Blindness: How to Prevent Sunburned Eyes
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