Take extra care of eyes this summer: Ophthalmologists

With the rise in temperature resulting in various eye ailments, health experts on Wednesday urged people to take extra care of their eyes this summer. They said Ultraviolet (UV) radiation could lead to cataract and skin cancer around eyelids.

According to the ophthalmologists, extra care was required during summers because even when skin could protect against UV radiations by producing melanin, eyes could not develop such tolerance. Rather, the eyes become more sensitive due to repeated exposure.

"UV radiations can play a contributory role in various ocular disorders, including age-related cataract, pterygium, cancer of the skin around eyelids and photokeratitis," said Mahipal S. Sachdev, a leading Delhi-based ophthalmologist.

Sachdev, managing director of Center for Sight, said reflective UV light, glare from water, sand and even roads could have a debilitating effect on eyes.

According to statistics of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences here, eye-related problems during summers is almost 40-50 times more compared with winters, or for that matter any other season.

Ophthalmologist Ritika Sachdeva warned people against wearing bad quality contact lenses, which could escalate eye-related infections during summers. "One should use plastic photochromatic lenses that block 100 per cent UV radiations and reduce glare to enhance visual comfort," she said.

According to World Health Organisation estimates, 20 per cent cataracts are primarily due to sun damage and that excessive UV exposure led to development of skin cancers, of which 10 per cent occur on the eyelids.