It can cause painful blistering sunburns and long term problems like skin cancer and cataracts. It tans the skin and has been implicated in skin aging. UV-B is more active, shorter wavelength radiation that causes blistering sunburn and is associated with skin cancer. Most UV radiation is absorbed by the anterior structures of the eye, although some of it does reach the light-sensitive retina. UV absorption by the eye may be a causative factor in a number of serious eye diseases.
Protection is simple, safe, and inexpensive.
Cataracts are a cloudiness of the lens inside the eye, which occurs over a period of many years. UV radiation can be a factor in cataract development. Macular degeneration is a serious age-related eye disease and a major cause of legal blindness among Americans over age 50. Pterygia are growths on the white of the eye that extend onto the cornea. It is seen most commonly in people who work outdoors in the sun and wind and is related to the amount of UV exposure.