How to Prevent Snow Blindness
Snow blindness is a general term given to an eye ailment known as photokeratitis. Photokeratitis or snow blindness is a condition in which a person experiences temporary loss of vision due to exposure to UV rays. This condition can be highly painful. It is casually termed as snow blindness as often the UV rays from the sun reflect on snow or ice surface and enter the eyes causing snow blindness. So how do you prevent snow blindness? Well here are some tips to help you.
Wear UV Protected Sunglasses
As main cause of snow blindness is the UV rays and not the snow, you need to protect your eyes from the UV rays. Get a good pair of sunglasses that provides maximum UV protection to your eyes. If you are going to be in a snowy region, buy a pair of sunglasses that provides complete coverage and has mirror coated lenses.
Get a Pair of Glacier Goggles and Snow Goggles
Sometimes a good pair of sunglasses may not suffice. In such case, you need to buy a glacier goggle. Glacier goggles give a proper fitting and also provides extra features such as attachments at the sides that give extra protection to your eyes. To get enhances eye protection opt for snow or ski goggles as they provide complete eye coverage with extra bordering for total protection.
Wear the Glasses Appropriately
Often people take out their sunglasses to wear when it’s sunny outside. This is a mistake especially if you are in a place with snow around. UV rays are strong and can penetrate even through the cloudy weather. So make sure you wear your sunglasses at all time when in snowy regions.
Take Extra Measures
Apart from directly covering your eyes, you can take some extra measures to ensure that the UV rays do not enter your eyes. You could wear a helmet or cap with a visor to protect your eyes from UV rays.
You might be aware that the color black attracts sunlight and heat. So to divert the sunlight from entering your eyes, apply some charcoal right under your eyes. This way the sunlight will get attracted to the charcoal and get trapped in it instead of entering your eyes.
By following these measures to prevent snow blindness, you are now safe from the effects of snow blindness. However, if you do notice symptoms of snow blindness such as intense pain, watery eyes, blurred vision, headache, etc. reach out to your nearest trusted optometrist for a proper consultation.