Advantages and disadvantages of UV radiation

by Abbas Jahangir · June 16, 2024

Intense UV radiation can damage the skin and eyes. Nevertheless, our body simply cannot do without UV radiation, as it benefits us in several ways. BETTER VISION explains: What are the types of UV radiation? What are the positive and negative aspects of UV radiation? How does it benefit us? How can it harm us?

Advantages of UV radiation

Disadvantages of UV radiation

What exactly is UV radiation?

Advantages of UV radiation

Summer means fun in the sun. For many it is the best time of the year. People get outside in the great weather and spend time walking, in parks and swimming pools. When it comes to UV radiation, many people often mention its harmful effects – but UV radiation benefits us in several ways. UV radiation affects a number of metabolic processes in humans, plants and animals. Unfortunately, thanks to the digital way of life, we spend more time indoors and have limited exposure to daylight. In order to feel good and be healthy, it is important to spend time outside, whether it is for walks or other outdoor activities. At the same time, however, it is necessary to protect oneself sufficiently from the sun – this applies equally to our skin and our eyes. To ensure full protection, we recommend wearing either high-quality sunglasses or clear glasses with an integrated UV filter up to a wavelength of 400 nm ¹ . The reason for this is the harmfulness of UV radiation to our eyes, which comes in many forms – but there are great ways to protect yourself.

ZEISS AdaptiveSun lenses

From dark to darker – smart sunglasses that automatically adapt to changing light conditions.
What is your favorite color and style?

Find out more

Disadvantages of UV radiationWith spending too much time in the sun comes intense exposure – this can damage your skin and eyes if you don’t protect them from the sun and wear good sunglasses with UV protection. Chronic eye damage caused by UV radiation cannot be treated. But what exactly are the negative effects of UV radiation on our eyes and skin?

Eye damage caused by UV radiation

When you think of sun protection, the first thing that comes to mind is skin protection. But our eyes are also sensitive to UV radiation – not only when the sun is shining, but also in the shade. Not just at noon, but all day, every day. UV radiation can reach 70 to 75 percent on earth even on a cloudy day, thanks to reflections and scattering ² . For example, water reflects up to 20 percent of UV radiation, fresh snow approximately 88 percent, sand up to 25 percent and concrete roads around 12 percent ³ .

The sooner you start with UV protection, the better – but on the other hand, it’s never too late to start.

Children’s eyes are especially sensitive to UV rays. Around the age of 20, we are exposed to approximately half the amount of UV radiation that we are exposed to until the age of 60. In other words, we absorbed about the same amount of UV radiation in our 20s as we absorb between 20 and 60 years ⁴ .

In the case of insufficient protection, damage to the eyelids and the skin around the eyes or the occurrence of other diseases, e.g. diseases affecting the cornea, can occur. This includes inflammation of the conjunctiva (conjunctivitis) and inflammation of the cornea (keratitis). These diseases are associated with damage to the cornea caused by the strong UV radiation that occurs in the mountains. With continuous exposure to intense light, we are in danger of hardening the eye lens, which can lead to the premature appearance of cataracts. UV radiation is also one of the causes of eyelid tumors.

To effectively protect both the eyes and the surrounding skin from UV radiation, we recommend wearing sunglasses or regular eyeglass lenses with full UV protection up to a wavelength of up to 400 nm. This way you will be protected regardless of the weather – even on cloudy days.

Tip for contact lens wearers: even though contact lenses are sold with UV protection, they do not protect the sensitive eyelids, especially the edges. Therefore, we recommend investing in quality sunglasses that are able to block incoming light.

NEW: Full UV protection in all ZEISS clear eyeglass lenses
Find out more about ZEISS sunglass lenses

Harmful effects of UV radiation on the skin

UV radiation can also harm our skin. We know that excessive tanning causes a higher incidence of skin cancer. So the main cause of skin cancer is exposure to UV radiation. It is surprising that when we talk about protection from the sun, we rarely think of the eyes. It has been found that 5-10 percent of all skin cancers involve the eyes ⁵ . To protect this sensitive area from UV radiation, we recommend wearing sunglasses or regular glasses with full UV protection up to a wavelength of 400 nm. By wearing glasses, you also protect the eye area from premature aging of the skin, which is primarily caused by UV radiation. Common long-term effects of excessive sun exposure include enlarged pores and blood vessels, damage to connective tissue, breakouts, and dry skin. In addition to burning and redness, UV radiation can cause a number of symptoms, which are often collectively called “sun allergies”. However, in medicine, there is no such thing as an allergy to the sun or light. People usually talk about specific symptoms, not the actual allergy. Diseases that people often call sun allergies are usually caused by sunlight, specifically its UV component. A very widespread disease caused by UV radiation is, for example, polymorphic light eruption, also known as solar eczema. Symptoms usually appear when the skin is exposed to a lot of sunlight, for example on the first long spring walk. Extremely itchy redness, blisters or lumps appear on the affected areas. The severity of symptoms can vary greatly depending on the skin of the affected person. A reaction that looks like an allergy can also be caused by taking certain medications in connection with UV radiation. In medical terminology, this disease is known as photodermatitis.

Acne aestivalis also often appears when the skin is damaged by UV radiation . Itchy red spots, spots, blisters and bumps suddenly appear on the skin. The term “acne” is actually misleading because this is not a textbook case of acne – only the symptoms are similar. This reaction is actually a unique form of solar eczema. Acne aestivalis is caused not only by intense UVA radiation, but primarily by an allergic reaction to sunscreen or oil. While the exact cause is unknown, we do know that the effect of UV radiation on an oily sun cream or oil can cause inflammation of the skin’s sebaceous glands. This reaction leads to the appearance of the above symptoms.

Tip: In some cases, it is possible to prevent acne aestivalis by using a special sunscreen cream or oil (available from specialized retailers), which soothes sensitive skin when applied regularly.

When enjoying the sun on the beach , protect your eyes with quality sunglasses with a UV filter up to a wavelength of 400 nm and apply sunscreen or oil regularly to prevent damage caused by sunlight. ZEISS PhotoFusion self-tinting spectacle lenses contain complete UV protection up to a wavelength of 400 nm.

ZEISS online eye testHow well do you see contrast and color? Check your eyesight quickly and easily right here!Run your vision test now!What exactly is UV radiation? Where it comes from?The biggest source of UV radiation is the sun. People usually call it UV light. However, this is not correct from the point of view of physics. It is not light per se, but radiation. Although both light and radiation are electromagnetic waves and are part of the so-called electromagnetic spectrum, where wavelengths of different kinds collide, there is a difference between them: light is something we can perceive. “Radiation” is the invisible part of the wavelength spectrum that includes infrared, X-ray, microwave and UV rays.

Different types of UV radiation

There are different types of UV rays and each of them has a different effect on the human body. We distinguish between UV-A, UV-B and UV-C radiation.

UV-C radiation

This radiation with a wavelength of 100 to 280 nm barely passes through our skin and cornea. A large amount of this radiation can still cause redness of the skin and painful inflammation of the eyes. UVC radiation also destroys cells, which is why it is used as an artificial disinfectant. Although UV-C radiation can cause damage, no special precautions are needed because it is completely absorbed by the ozone layer – even in regions where the ozone layer is depleted.

UV-A radiation / UV-B radiation

UV-A radiation (315 to 400 nm) and UV-B radiation (280 to 315 nm) have a similar effect on the body. They can cause acute, medium to long-term damage:

Acute damage:
UV-A and UV-B rays tan the skin if used sparingly, however, high amounts can cause redness, rashes, allergies or burns, such as eyelids. UV-B radiation can cause acute photokeratitis (or UV keratitis), a type of corneal damage.

Medium-term damage:
UV radiation can cause conjunctivitis.

Long-term damage:
UVA rays can accelerate skin aging and reduce our ability to see. It increases the risk of premature age-related macular degeneration (AMD). UVA rays are also thought to cause eyelid cancer, cause dangerous changes in the cornea, and can even lead to cataracts. A whopping 48 percent of the world’s blindness is caused by cataracts—and about 20 percent of those cataracts are caused or worsened by UV radiation. It turns out that UVA and UVB radiation can partly cause skin tumors. Typical symptoms of excessive UV exposure include tissue growth on the conjunctiva and at the edge of the cornea (eg, Pterygium conjunctivae) and Pinguecula.