Saying goodbye to summer means saying goodbye to your summer tan. As we approach the colder months, you may be thinking of heading indoors to soak up some rays.
But did you know that a tanning booth could cause effects that are more than skin deep? Turns out you could also be hurting your vision health. Tanning beds can emit ultraviolet radiation 100 times stronger than the sun, putting you at greater risk for damage to your skin and your eyes.
Too much UV exposure can cause sunburned corneas, called photokeratitis. Symptoms include tearing, swollen eyelids, and a gritty sensation when you blink. Healing can take up to three days once the eyes are out of harm’s way, with artificial tears and cool compresses used to relieve symptoms.
However, even temporary effects can have long-lasting consequences.
Long-term UV damage could result in the following:
Cataracts form when proteins in the eye’s lens unravel and tangle, clouding vision. Aging is the most common cause, but studies have shown cataracts appear to be enhanced through UVB exposure. The World Health Organization estimates that up to 20 percent of cataracts may be caused by overexposure to UV radiation.
Macular degeneration is the loss of central vision due to retinal damage. This condition often happens naturally with aging, but it can be exacerbated with UV overexposure.
UV radiation has been linked with squamous cell carcinoma of the conjunctiva, the clear membrane that covers the front of the eye and the underside of the eyelids. Melanoma can also strike the uveal tract (the layer of the eye that contains the iris) and sclera (the white part of the eye). Various types of skin cancers can also form on the eyelid’s thin, sensitive skin.
Pinguecula is detected by a yellow, bumpy growth that can form near the inner corner of the eye on the conjunctiva. This growth could expand to cover the cornea, becoming a pterygium.
UV damage is cumulative and often goes undetected. The more you expose your eyes to these harmful rays, the more damage you could do to your long-term vision health.
Kusema kwaheri kwa majira ya joto ni kusema kwaheri kwa jua yako ya majira ya joto. Unapokaribia miezi ya baridi kali, huenda ukaanza kufikiria kwenda ndani ya nyumba ili upate jua. Lakini je, unajua kwamba chumba cha kupaka rangi chaweza kusababisha madhara makubwa zaidi? Inaonekana kwamba unaweza pia kuwa na madhara kwa afya ya macho yako. Kwa sababu ya hali hiyo, chombo cha kupasha jua chaweza kutoa mnururisho wa ultraviolet wenye nguvu mara 100 kuliko jua, na hivyo kukupa hatari kubwa ya kuharibu ngozi na macho yako. Kuangazwa sana na miale ya UV kunaweza kusababisha ngozi ya pembe ya macho kuchomwa na jua, inayoitwa photokeratitis. Dalili zake zinatia ndani machozi, kuvuja kwa paji la macho, na hisia ya kuchanganyikiwa unapopepesa. Uponyaji unaweza kuchukua hadi siku tatu mara moja macho ni nje ya njia ya madhara, na machozi bandia na compresses baridi kutumika kupunguza dalili. Hata hivyo, hata athari za muda mfupi zaweza kuwa na matokeo ya kudumu. Uharibifu wa muda mrefu wa miale ya UV unaweza kusababisha mambo yafuatayo: Cataracts hufanyizwa wakati protini katika lensi ya jicho zinapogawanyika na kuingiliana, na hivyo kuchafua uwezo wa kuona. Uzee ni sababu ya kawaida, lakini utafiti umeonyesha cataracts kuonekana kuwa kuimarishwa kwa njia ya UVB mfiduo. Shirika la Afya Ulimwenguni (WHO) linakadiria kwamba asilimia 20 ya ugonjwa wa kiwiko huambukizwa na miale ya UV. Uharibifu wa rangi ya manjano ni kupoteza uwezo wa kuona kwa sababu ya uharibifu wa retina. Mara nyingi hali hiyo hutokea kwa kawaida wakati mtu anapokuwa mzee, lakini inaweza kuongezeka anapokuwa na mnururisho mwingi wa miale ya UV. UV ina uhusiano na kansa ya seli squamous ya conjunctiva, utando wazi ambao hufunika mbele ya jicho na chini ya paji la macho. Ugonjwa huo unaweza pia kuathiri sehemu ya jicho inayoitwa uveal tract (safu ya jicho inayojumuisha iris) na sehemu ya jicho inayoitwa sclera (sehemu nyeupe ya jicho). Aina mbalimbali za kansa za ngozi zaweza pia kutokea kwenye ngozi nyembamba na nyeti ya kiwiko cha jicho. Pinguecula ni kiungo cha rangi ya manjano kinachoweza kuonekana kwenye sehemu ya ndani ya jicho. Ukuzi huo ungeweza kupanuka na kufunika kornea, na kuwa pterygium. Uharibifu unaosababishwa na miale ya UV huongezeka na mara nyingi haugunduliwi. Kadiri unavyoweka macho yako kwenye miale hii yenye madhara, ndivyo unavyoweza kuharibu afya yako ya kuona kwa muda mrefu.