On Tuesday afternoon 's epsiode of `` Anderson Live , '' host Anderson Cooper told viewers he sunburnt his eyes on a recent trip to Portugal , and was subsequently blind for 36 hours . Cooper said the injury occurred while he was on the water , without sunglasses , for an extended period of time reporting for CBS 's `` 60 Minutes . '' `` I wake up in the middle of the night and it feels like my eyes are on fire , my eyeballs and I think , 'Oh , maybe I have sand in my eyes or something , ' '' Anderson said . `` I douse my eyes with water . Anyway , it turns out I have sunburned my eyeballs and I go blind . I went blind for 36 hours . '' TIME.com : A wristband that tells you when to get out of the sun . Just how common is sunburning your eyes ? According to Dr. Deborah Sarnoff , senior vice president of The Skin Cancer Foundation and practicing dermatologist at Cosmetique in New York , sunburns to the extent of Cooper 's does n't happen too often , but it is possible if you 're not wearing the right protection . `` We have sunscreen we can put on our skin , but we do n't have eye drops that offer a protective film for the cornea , so it is really important that everyone , and especially people with fair or light eyes , wear sunglasses that protect against both UVA and UVB rays , '' says Sarnoff . According to Sarnoff , the outer eyeball layer , known as the cornea , is similar to the outer layer of skin . When it is burned by the sun 's rays , the cornea becomes inflamed -- an effect called keratitis -- which can be quite painful and , as in Cooper 's case , can cause temporary blindness . For someone like Cooper , who has light irises , there is a higher risk of burns . And like sunburns on the skin , burning your cornea causes cumulative damage . `` In the short run you heal , but in the long run sometimes the damage builds . We can get a sunburn , and we can heal from it , and the inflammation can go away , but it can add to the chronic damage and put us at risk for skin cancer , '' says Sarnoff . Eye issues like cataracts , skin cancer of the eyelids and melanoma in the retina are all possible risks from sun-damaged eyes . TIME.com : Sunburn and indoor tanning still putting young people at risk for skin cancer . Thankfully , with numbing and antibiotic eye-drops , it only takes a couple days to recover . `` The good news is that our bodies are very regenerative , and we have regenerative powers in both the top layer of our skin , and on top of the cornea . We are always replacing the skin and corneal cells , '' says Sarnoff . `` It takes time , but within a few days you can be better . '' Even during the winter , you should protect your eyes from dangerous rays -- particularly when they are reflected off bright surfaces such as snow . To keep your eyes safe , wear sunglasses and a hat with a three inch brim , advises Sarnoff . If you do get a burn , see your ophthalmologist right away . This story was originally published on TIME.com . Anderson Cooper 's eyeburn : How common is eye damage from the sun ?
Anderson Cooper sunburnt his eyes while on water without sunglasses . Such severe sunburns are possible without eye protection , expert says . Comment: Sunburns can add up , causing long-term damage to our eyes .