Brilliant winter skies, perfect skiing conditions and clement temperatures have always been a good reason to head for the mountains. But be sure to remember your sunglasses, in addition to warm clothing and sun cream. After all, not only your skin, but your eyes, too, are subject to sunburn.
"Sunburn of the eyes", or what is commonly referred to as snow blindness, involves damage to the eye membranes from excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays. Ultraviolet light is stronger in the mountains than in the lower regions. In addition, sun rays reflect off the snow, which can further exacerbate sunburn-like injuries to the eye.
Prevention
How to best protect your eyes against snow blindness:
- Wear tested sunglasses with strong UV protection. We recommend that children wear glasses made from plastic in order to reduce the risk of accidents.
- Additional protection on the sides of your glasses prevents scattered radiation from intruding indirectly.
- Lenses with UV protection are only marginally effective because parts of the eye are shielded inadequately. For this reason, anyone with contact lenses should always wear sunglasses as well.
Symptoms
The symptoms are usually felt only three to twelve hours later. The following can be an indication of snow blindness:
- Red or inflamed eyes
- The eyes hurt badly
- A feeling as if there is a foreign object
- Strong tearing by the eyes
- Cramps of the lids; having to keep the eyes closed because they cannot tolerate light.
Treatment
If you experience any of the symptoms mentioned above, we recommend the following steps to alleviate the pain:
- Put cool compresses on the lids.
- Stay in bed in a pleasantly darkened room.
- If you wear contact lenses, remove them in order to avoid additional irritation.
- You can try using non-prescription medication such as Paracetamol or Ibuprofen.
- We recommend that you use eye cream or drops, or that you visit your doctor.
For your health: santé24 and SWICA Benecura
Do you have a health question? Our physicians and healthcare professionals at santé24 are available 24/7 on +41 44 404 86 86 for SWICA customers. In addition to telephone health advice, patients whose conditions are appropriate for telemedicine can receive medical services such as diagnostics, treatment, and even e-prescriptions for prescription medications.
Do you feel ill? The SWICA Benecura medical app makes it easy to carry out a digital SymptomCheck. You will receive a personal recommendation about what to do next. Send your information in encrypted form to the santé24 online practice for your telephone consultation to significantly shorten the assessment.
