Did youthful fun in the sun put you at risk for an eye condition now?

Excessive sun exposure can cause damage that shows up many years later.

You may not have known it then, but spending a lot of time in the sun without sunglasses when you were younger may have put you at risk for developing eye problems now that you’re older. “The damage would have been done in your 20s and 30s,” says a Dr. Louis Pasquale, an ophthalmologist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. “It’s especially true if you spent time near the water, the beach, or snow. The sunlight bounces off of those surfaces and right into the eyes.”

The risks

Dr. Pasquale says we don’t know exactly how the sun’s ultraviolet rays cause eye damage. He also says it’s debated whether sunlight directly causes common eye conditions, such as cataracts (cloudy areas in the lens of the eye), glaucoma (marked by damage to the optic nerve, usually because of pressure in the eye): and age-related macular degeneration, or AMD (which gradually destroys the macula, the part of the eye that provides sharp central vision). But there’s good evidence that sun exposure can cause an eye condition that often leads to other problems. This condition is called exfoliation syndrome.

Exfoliation syndrome

Exfoliation syndrome leaves tiny dandruff-like flakes inside the body, mostly in the eye, where a buildup clogs the eye’s natural drains. That can lead to other problems. Worldwide, it is the most common identifiable cause of two kinds of glaucoma: secondary open-angle glaucoma and secondary closed-angle glaucoma. Exfoliation syndrome is also linked to cataracts and possibly to AMD.

   Who gets exfoliation syndrome? “People who spent 10 hours a week in the sun seem to have a twofold risk of exfoliation syndrome compared with people who spent two or three hours a week in the sun,” says Dr. Pasquale. Other risk factors include European descent, family history, a lack of dietary folate, and five or more cups of coffee per day.

   There are no symptoms of exfoliation syndrome until you start to lose your sight from other eye problems. And while there’s no cure, there are treatments for the other conditions that may result.

Early detection

The best way to stop exfoliation syndrome, glaucoma, AMD, and cataracts from robbing you of your vision is to discover these conditions before they progress. You can do that with a comprehensive eye exam. That involves dilating the eyes to open the pupils so the doctor can examine the back of the eye at the retina. The doctor will also check eye pressure, look at the structure and muscle function of the eye, and correct vision problems if necessary.

   The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends comprehensive eye exams every two to four years for people ages 40 to 55, every one to three years for people ages 55 to 65, and every one to two years for people ages 65 and older. People with risk factors for eye problems-for example, those with diabetes-may need more frequent eye exams.♥

Harvard Health Letter