Today our guest of honour for eye ailment is Photokeratitis. Have you spent hours in the sun grilling and feeling the heat? In another way, it can look like sunburn On your eyes. This happens when the peppers come in direct contact with ultraviolet (UV) light, leaving sunburn. These UV rays zap the cornea, making it feel irritated, tearing, and red.
Alarming Signs:
So, by now you must have an idea of what Photokeratitis is. But still, there is one concern that arises. How does one know if they have a case of Photokeratitis? Worry not, we are here to guide you in simplest way so that you don’t feel the need to be dependent on others, so today let’s dig deep into realm of its warning signals to have better understanding.
Here are a few tips that might help you understand the causes.
Gritty sensation:
to put it simply, it is described as feeling when there is sand in your eyes. We all must felt this feeling once in our lifetime. It evokes a feeling of something trapped under the eyelids, making the person very annoyed.
Ocular discomfort:
It covers a broad range of icky sensations in the eye like irritation, soreness, and itching. Even though it vanishes on it own and it is not something to take too much pressure about, but if it is getting worse, then doctors visit is must.
Blurred vision:
This means a loss of clarity and sharpness in vision
Conjunctival redness:
This is where the white part of the eyes goes red.
Photophobia:
It refers to a situation where people get sensitive to light as it causes certain discomfort and pain due to bright light sources like sunlight and indoor lightning. This can lead to symptoms like squinting, hate bright environment or might need to cover their eyes.
Ways to deal with Photokeratitis
- If you have Photokeratitis, the first thing to do is to give your eyes a break. Keep them close and try to avoid any bright light to avoid irritation.
- Apply a cold compress or ice pack wrapped in a clean cloth to soothe the pain and reduce swelling.
- Drink lots of water to keep the body and eyes hydrated.
- You can also rely on artificial tears to moisten your eyes.
- Pain relievers help to deal with any discomfort, but yes, too much of it can be harmful.
- Try to avoid rubbing your eyes as it can hamper you further.
Preventive Measures
There is a saying that goes “It is better to be safe than sorry”. Here are a few simple steps to protect your eyes from Photokeratitis.
- Wear a good pair of sunglasses with 100%UV protection. Also, try looking for labels that indicate the blocking of UVA and UVB rays
- Using Google can help protect your eyes.
- Try to avoid prolonged contact with the sun especially between (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Prolonged exposure to harmful UV radiation can damage the cells of cornea making them dead and shedding of outermost layer. It is important to ensure proper protection like wearing sunglasses to avoid conditions like dry eyes.
Understanding Photokeratitis with our guide not will allow you to enjoy summer but also protect it. By taking proactive steps to fight against the harmful radiation can be beneficial for you.