Low Autumn Sun Spells Danger for Eye Health
Unprotected exposure to Autumn sunshine can put you at increased risk of suffering common sight-threatening eye conditions such as cataract and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) .
As the sun crosses the celestial equator on the Autumn Equinox (23 September 2022) the highest point on its trajectory reduces to just 40-degrees. David Cartwright chairman of Eye Health UK explains: “When the sun is high in the sky our brow bone acts like a built in sun shade and prevents damaging UV light entering the eye. When the sun is low in the sky during Autumn months the total amount of UV radiation your eyes are exposed to dramatically increases.”
Cumulative UV exposure has been found to promote the onset of cataract and has been implicated in the development of a range of other eye conditions including photokeratitis, pterygium eye cancers and macular degeneration – the UK’s leading cause of blindness.
One simple way you can tell if your eyes are in danger of UV damage is to look at your shadow. If your shadow is shorter than you, you should protect your eyes using a hat, sunglasses or UV protective lenses.
You should also protect your eyes whenever the UV Index rises to three or more. For the latest UV forecast visit the Met Office website
Published : September 2022
