Protecting your eyes from the sun is essential year-round—not just for comfort, but for your long-term eye health. In this news segment, Dr. Kimberly Riordan of Florida Eye Specialists shares how UV exposure can increase the risk of conditions like cataracts, macular degeneration, and even skin cancer on the eyelids. She also discusses how to choose the right sunglasses, common warning signs of cataracts, and the latest advancements in cataract treatment. Watch the full interview to learn how to keep your vision clear and your eyes healthy at every age
Video Transcript
This morning, we are focusing on your eyes. Data from the World Health Organization estimates that about 20% of cataracts worldwide may be caused by overexposure to UV radiation. Jacksonville optometric physician Dr. Kimberly Riordan, with Florida Eye Specialists, is joining us this morning. Good morning, thanks for being here.
We remind people all the time about the importance of wearing sunglasses — they’re not just for the look, they’re important to protecting your eyes. Can you explain the impact UV has on our eyes? Research has shown that overexposure to UVA and UVB radiation can increase the risk of certain conditions such as macular degeneration. Also, our eyelid skin is very thin, so it’s susceptible to skin cancer. And overexposure to UV radiation can increase your risk of developing cataracts. Is that from looking toward the sun, or just being outside where it reflects up into your eyes? Absolutely — and not just on sunny days. We’re talking about it because it’s the summer months, but all year round we’re at risk, and especially out on the water, the sunlight reflecting off the water is a risk too. As much as a hat is great, you need something that protects your eyes, and sunglasses are a great way to do that.
Do you have to get the expensive ones? What’s really important is making sure they have UVA and UVB protection, and most will be labeled with that. What you want to spend is up to you. Do you specifically need to look for UVA and UVB on the label? Thankfully, in the US, most are going to have UVA and UVB protection. I’d just be cautionary about what you buy online if you don’t know where they’re coming from; but if you’re buying from US retailers, they’ll have UVA and UVB protection.
Let’s talk about cataracts — what are some warning signs? Cataracts are kind of sneaky. First of all, we all get them; they’re like gray hairs and wrinkles — it’s not if you develop them, it’s when. Subtle changes to our vision over time: things not seeming as clear, seeming blurry or hazy, double vision, glare, sensitivity to light. A big one or two would be changes to your color perception and difficulty seeing at night — a lot of people actually stop driving at night because they don’t feel comfortable.
What are the latest treatments? It’s intimidating to hear you’ve been diagnosed with cataracts, but it’s actually a good diagnosis to have, because we can cure cataracts with cataract surgery. It’s one of the most commonly performed and safest procedures in all of medicine. And what’s exciting is there are so many lens options — a cataract is the clouding of our natural lens; we remove that lens and replace it, and we have amazing options. We’re lucky in Northeast Florida to have Florida Eye Specialists, with highly skilled ophthalmologists on top of all the latest technology, so most of our patients come out seeing better than they’ve ever seen.
Some people see fibers or little spots — is that cataract related? That’s something different. Those little spots and specks that float in and out of our vision are what we call floaters — that’s in the jelly part of the eye, or the vitreous. If they’re new to you, absolutely call and seek immediate attention, because new floaters can indicate problems with your retina or a retinal tear. So never ignore new floaters; but if they’ve always been there, there’s nothing to be concerned about. If they’re new, or accompanied by flashes of light, definitely call. And for over-the-counter readers — if you have not had an eye exam recently, get your eyes examined first, because readers can work and they’re great, but it’s good to rule out that there’s nothing else causing you to not be able to read. Great information — thank you so much. Don’t spend a lot of money on those sunglasses, but make sure you wear them.
