The Eyes’ Natural Defense Against UV Light
#The end of the sun in your eyes free#
However, when the system has too much exposure to UV light, it can no longer keep up with the oxidative process and harmful particles called free radicals begin to build up in human cells, causing irreversible damage.Ī damaged cell here and there may not be problematic, but as more and more cells become damaged and more and more free radicals build up within the body, serious biological changes, like cancer, can occur.
The body naturally breaks down UV light into non-harmful particles in a physiological process called oxidation. It’s when we accumulate too much UV exposure overtime, overworking the protective system, that UV light becomes dangerous. In fact, the body naturally has some mechanisms to protect itself against UV damage- generally speaking the sun is good for us. We need some UV exposure to attain certain vitamins like Vitamin D. While research is still ongoing when it comes to blue light, it is considered to be a part of UV light family and precautions should be taken.Īll things are good in moderation-this extends to the sun as well. UVA light is characterized as any light of a wavelength between 315 to 400 nm.īlue light, the light emitted from electronic screens such as computers, tablets, smartphones, and TVs, ranges between the upper UVB to lower UVA range. While it may be safer in comparison to UVB or UVC light, UVA light can still be dangerous, especially when absorbed in excess. UVA light is the least damaging of the UV lights, as it is closest to the visible light spectrum. UVB light is characterized as any light of a wavelength between 280 to 315 nm.
#The end of the sun in your eyes skin#
The skin does a fairly good job protecting the body from UVB light, however UVB light can easily pass through the eye if proper safety precautions are not used. It is emitted from the sun and can enter the earth and therefore makes contact with the human body. UVB light is the second most dangerous type of UV light. UVC light is characterized as any light of a wavelength between 100 to 280 nm. Fortunately, the bulk of this type of UV light is filtered out by the Ozone layer, so it is not regularly absorbed by the human body.
UVC light is the most dangerous and is produced by the sun. UV light can be subcategorized into three different categories-UVA, UVB, and UVC. UV light is the category of light that cannot be seen with the naked human eye, and ranges from energy output of 100 to 400 nm. On the upper end of the spectrum is infrared light and radiowaves, which again cannot be seen but do produce an energy output. This range of light extends from 400 nm (purple/blue colors) to 780 nm (reds).
Toward the middle of the spectrum is “visible light”, or what we as humans can see. We cannot actually see this light, but we know it exists based off the energy output of these wavelengths. On the lower end of the spectrum is light energy such as X-rays and UV light. Light in general is part of the electromagnetic spectrum, which measures the wavelength of the light produced by different objects in nanometers (nm). UV light is the light energy produced by the sun, tanning beds, electronic screens (TVs, computers, tablets, phones, etc.), fluorescent lights, UV sanitizing devices, and more. It is of utmost importance to do your best to keep your eyes protected from the sun, and this article is here to explain why! UV exposure from the sun has been linked to many different problems within the eyes. It is well known that excessive sun exposure hurts the skin, but what about the eyes?