‘Irreversible’: UV damage to eyes will ‘only get worse’ if left unchecked
A terrifying video shows the extent of how a common mistake all Aussies have made can ‘slowly cook’ your eyes.
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There’s much more than meets the eye when it comes to keeping your vision safe and a Sydney optometrist’s TikTok reveals the scary reason why.
The video, published by Eye Lab Optometry, begins on a slit machine - a microscope tool for the eye - and zooms into a patient’s eyeball before a light is switched on and viewers see a brown iris on the verge of being enveloped by spidery blood vessels.
Director optometrist at Eye Lab OptometryDrTheresa Bui told news.com.au that the visible growth in the video is known as pterygium, or surfer’s eye, which is a condition caused by UV damage.
“Pterygium is the fleshy tissue growth across the front of the eye. The example in the video is one of the more worse cases of UV damage. We see pterygium in about 1 per cent of Australians and it develops cumulatively after repeated exposure” Dr Bui said.
“It’s common in people who spend lots of time outdoors like farmers, surfers and tradespeople,” she added.
Conditions like pterygium are “irreversible” and “will only get worse” even if it’s able to be temporarily managed with surgery.
Commenters on the video expressed their shock at the pterygium growth, with one asking “Did the sun cook his eyes?” to which Eye Lab Optometry’s account replied: “Slowly.”
While it’s not like your eyes are being “immediately deep-fried,” Dr Bui said that over many years of being out in the sun, eyes do absorb UV radiation and small changes begin to accumulate, meaning it’s important to catch issues early.
“In the TikTok, you can see that the growth didn’t cover the pupil, so it didn’t impact their vision.
“But if it got any further, then we’d have to surgically remove it. The same goes for cataracts and eye cancers, which can also develop as a result of UV radiation,” she said.
Australia has one of the highest levels of UV radiation in the world.
If the UV index is above 3, it’s essential to use sun protection given that UV radiation is unaffected by temperature.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, only Hobart and Melbourne have average maximum UV levels that stay lower than 3 during winter months out of all the capital cities. Darwin and Brisbane residents need sun protection throughout the year.
“In terms of safety steps to take, sunglasses are the first recommendation. For these, look for ones that offer UV protection and a solid frame size so your eyes are protected from all angles,” Dr Bui said.
“If it’s quite sunny, add a hat and find shade. Most importantly, make sure to get your eyes checked regularly, every 1-2 years. The earlier we can detect issues, the earlier we can treat them.”
It follows a Specsavers report that revealed only 22 per cent of the Australian population wore eye protection year-round, as is the national recommendation.
Originally published as ‘Irreversible’: UV damage to eyes will ‘only get worse’ if left unchecked
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