Photokeratitis: What It Is and How to Protect Your Eyes from Sun Damage

Photokeratitis, also known as UV keratitis, is an eye condition caused by inflammation of the cornea resulting from excessive exposure to sunlight. It is important to understand what it is, how to treat it, and—most importantly—how to prevent it, especially during the summer.

 

For many people, summer is the most beautiful season of the year, offering the chance to spend more time outdoors without the burden of winter coats, scarves, or umbrellas. While the sense of freedom brought by summer is wonderful, we must not forget that while the sun gives us light and even a nice tan, solar radiation—especially ultraviolet (UV) rays—can be extremely harmful to our eyes.

UV rays carry very high energy capable of damaging cells and biological tissues by inducing photo-oxidative stress and DNA damage. Because of their function, the eyes are almost constantly exposed to light, and their delicate tissues are particularly vulnerable to UV radiation—especially in summer, when sun exposure increases significantly and light intensity reaches its peak, particularly at the beach, by the sea, at the lake, etc.

The cornea is the eye’s main natural lens, and since it is located at the front of the eyeball, it is highly exposed to sunlight. In the case of direct and prolonged exposure, particularly during the hours of strongest light intensity, the UV component of sunlight can cause real damage to the corneal epithelium, the outermost layer of the cornea. This damage is caused by photochemical and photothermal effects, leading to the destruction of epithelial cells and inflammation.

Corneal inflammation caused by UV rays leads to the typical symptoms of photokeratitis: redness, irritation, eye burning, a foreign body sensation, pronounced light sensitivity, tearing, and eyelid swelling.

Once diagnosed, UV keratitis must be treated with topical therapy aimed at promoting and facilitating re-epithelialization, that is, the regrowth and healing of the damaged corneal epithelium. This may be combined with an antibiotic eye ointment to prevent possible infections. In more severe cases, the specialist may recommend mydriatic eye drops—which dilate the pupils—to reduce the risk of adhesions between the cornea and the iris and to help relieve ocular pain. Recovery from photokeratitis can take up to 3 weeks.

The biological effects of UV radiation on eye health have long been known, so it is essential to be aware of the risks and adopt responsible behaviors. Photokeratitis is preventable, and it must be avoided—not only because it can have serious consequences in some cases, but also because prolonged or repeated UV exposure can lead not only to photokeratitis and its recurrence, but also to other conditions such as pinguecula, pterygium, cataracts, and age-related macular degeneration.

The eyes must be protected from solar radiation, and especially from UV rays, by avoiding or minimizing direct sun exposure and by wearing protective sunglasses with certified UV filters. It is absolutely crucial that lenses are certified, because wearing dark lenses without proper UV filters can actually increase the risk to eye health—since the pupils dilate behind dark lenses, more UV radiation can reach the retina, leading to phototoxic damage to retinal tissue.

In general, the best behaviors to adopt for protecting your eyes from photokeratitis and other UV-related eye conditions include:

Eye health is precious, and we must always remember that prevention is the most effective weapon to protect it—not just from photokeratitis but from all eye diseases related to UV radiation. Protecting your eyes from sunlight only takes a simple gesture—wearing sunglasses. Let’s not forget that, starting this summer.

Dr. Jung Hee Levialdi Ghiron

Responsabile comunicazione scientifica Rome Vision Clinic

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