A woman learned just how important proper eye protection is while on a skiing holiday in Andorra that made her burn her eyeballs.
While sunglasses may look cool and enhance an outfit, they also have an important purpose – to protect your eyes from the UV rays of the sun.
It might sound obvious, but while sunglasses makes it easier and less straining for your eyes on a bright an sunny eyes, they also protect your corneas from being damaged from harmful UV rays.
Because of this, it’s important to make sure you have suitable eyewear, which is something Stef, a Mexican American woman living in the UK, recently learned during a ski trip.
In a video published on TikTok on the 29 March, Stef revealed how a pair of vintage Chanel sunglasses had ended up making her burn her corneas.
While she’s seen showing off her sunglasses in the video, she wrote: « She doesn’t know it yet, but two hours later she would find out her vintage Chanel sunnies had no sun protection and caused UV burns on her eyeballs and she’d be stuck with Willy Wonka sunglasses the rest of the trip. »
According to Classic Specs, any sunglasses made before the late 1980s may not have UV protection, as there were no regulations about it at that time. Some old sunglasses that once had UV protection may also have been through a little wear and tear, meaning that they no longer offer the UV protection that is needed to protect your eyes.
If you are unsure about whether or not your sunglasses have UV protection, most opiticians will be able to check this for you.
Stef shared her shock about the event in the comments, where she wrote: « I’ve been surfing all over the world, even in the equator where the sun is strongest for 15+ years just to get my [eyes emoji] sunburned my 1st time skiing in Europe when it was cloudy.
A viewer went on to explain: “The snows albedo reflects like 90% of solar radiation, so not even comparable to ocean water at the equator.”
In a second video, Stef explained that she’d been hoping to wear a pair of sunglasses under her ski goggles as they didn’t protect against the sun. In the end, she ended up having to buy a new pair of sunglasses for the trip.
According to All About Vision, sunburned eyes, also known as photokeratitis, can cause pain, redness, and, in some cases, temporary vision loss. An eye sunburn can be very uncomfortable, but it usually goes away on its own.
It can be prevented by wearing suitable, UV protectant sunglasses, or protecting your eyes by wearing a hat or a cap.
