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Droplet Keratopathy and Photokeratitis
Photokeratitis
Photokeratitis is the medical term for a sunburned eyes, arc eye and snow blindness. The front of your eyeball, the cornea, is subjected to high levels of UV radiation in mountain areas, on snowfields and on sandy beaches. Around two hours on snow and six hours on sand are enough to burn the eyes.
Unlike solar maculopathy, sunburned eyes hurt. The pain can be severe but usually
doesn’t occur until several hours later and a ‘snow-
Droplet Keratopathy
The case against UV radiation is strong in relation to droplet keratopathy. An alternative name, climatic droplet keratopathy, clearly makes such a suggestion. This condition is a major cause of blindness in populations of arctic regions and tropical islands – in circumstances where reflections from snow, sand and water intensify the sunlight. Of course, overexposure increases the risk regardless of geographical location.
UV radiation alters proteins in the cornea. The protein takes on the form of translucent and sometimes yellowish droplets. They make the light rays refract, resulting in blurred vision. Surgeons are able to remove some of the droplets.
