Now that summer vacation is in full swing, many of you are probably working on that perfect summer tan. There’s no doubt a nice tan is a bonus in the summer months, and thanks to tanning beds you can now get that sun-kissed glow year-round.
Much has been made of the damage tanning beds can do to your skin, but what about your eyes? How does the intense UV light affect your sight both short-term and long-term?
Unfortunately, the tanning goggles that you can get from your tanning facility do not offer you total protection from the harm of UV light damage. In reality, it’s best to avoid tanning at all—for both the health and safety of your skin AND your eyes.
Last week I talked about cataracts—remember, UV damage is a large contributor to their development. And skin cancer isn’t your only cancer risk with tanning beds—melanoma of the eye has also been linked of UV light, as has macular degeneration. These long-term effects may not show up until much later in life, when it’s too late to undo the damage.
Photokeratitis is a short-term example of damage from UV light. Photokeratitis is essentially a sunburn on the cornea of your eye (one of the most integral parts of your eye). While only temporary, photokeratitis can be painful, cause swelling to the eye, and even result in blurred vision.
The implications of UV damage to vision are not relegated to only the outdoors. The strong UV light from tanning beds can be even more damaging because of the high concentration of UV exposure. While my advice would be to avoid tanning beds altogether, if you’re going to continue tanning, be sure you are using tanning goggles and keep the amount of time you spend in tanning beds to a minimum. Your eyes (and your optometrist) will thank you!
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