“Our Alabama sun can cause a great deal more damage to your eyes than you might think,” stated Birmingham Ophthalmologist & Corneal Specialist Marc Michelson, M.D. of Alabama Eye & Cataract Center. “A lot of folks simply don’t realize the various possible ways and the extent to which the can impact and damage your eyes and the surrounding tissue,” said Dr. Michelson. “For example, too much sun and UV light can affect the surface of the cornea and actually cause an “eye sunburn” or “photokeratitis” which is uncomfortable and may temporarily impact vision. If too much UV light reaches the inside of the eye it can damage the crystalline lens turning it yellow and actually stimulate the formation of cataracts. Further, if too much sunlight reaches the retina, this can cause a type of “solar retinitis” and increase the risk of macular degeneration as well.”
In addition to those problems mentioned by Dr. Michelson, patients need to know that we are all susceptible to eye and eyelid cancers and other types of eye damage from the sun. Even though the eyelid is designed to protect the eye itself from the sun, eyelid skin is very thin and fragile and can be easily damaged by the sun. The number and types of eyelid cancers are many and a cause for concern among everyone.
Thus, we should ALL take simple but effective precautions to protect our eyes and the structures inside and around our eyes:
Wear a Brimmed Hat
Use Sunscreen
Wear Proper UV Protecting Sunglasses
Using some common sense precautions goes a long way to protecting your eye health and vision. If you or someone you know has questions about eyes and sunlight or proper UV and sun protection for eyes, please feel free to call Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham at 205-930-0930 or Michelson Laser Vision at 877-871-3937, visit Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or facebook.com/michelsonlaservision and schedule an appointment so we can help.
Michelson Laser Vision and Alabama Eye & Cataract Center are leading eye care centers in Birmingham staffed by a team of specialists including eye doctors who are fellowship trained cornea specialists and cataract and lens implant specialists-all board certified Ophthalmologists-as well as Optometrists, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser eye surgery such as LASIK for laser vision correction, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, care for diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma.
Bladeless All Laser LASIK at Michelson Laser Vision, Birmingham - Laser Cataract Surgery & Lens Implants at Alabama Eye & Cataract Center, Birmingham.
