RAISE YOUR SIGHTS
It’s not just your skin you need to protect in the sun - UV exposure is a gateway to age-related age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of sight loss in the UK. Here’s how, to protect your peepers, from optometrist Francesca Marchetti
Compiled by Hattie Parish
THE EXPERT
FRANCESCA MARCHETTI is an independent optometrist and a councillor of the Association of Optometrists.
The biggest risk to eye health in summer is ultraviolet (UV) light. Just as it can affect your skin, it can affect your eyes as well. UV can damage the cornea (the delicate, clear surface of the eye), and the skin around the eyes, too.
We know UV is a catalyst towards developing cataracts, macular degeneration and also melanoma, which can happen at the back of the eye. Short, intense exposure can also cause photokeratitis, an inflammation of the cornea, almost like sunburn. This tends to occur more in snow, but white sand and water reflections have the same effect. Plus, pool chemicals can affect the natural tear film, in what’s known as ‘swimmer’s eye’, which is why you end up with sore, red eyes when you’ve been in a chlorinated pool. But there are simple steps you can take towards protected, healthy eyes, for summer and beyond.