Sunburned Eyes: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

A day of boating, snowboarding, or just working in the yard can lead to sunburned eyes if you are not careful. Sun damage to the eyes, known as photokeratitis, happens when your eyes get sunburned from ultraviolet (UV) rays.

Over time repeated eye sunburns can lead to eye damage and disease. Wearing sunglasses can prevent eye sunburn, while a cool washcloth over the eyes can relieve the pain from sunburn of the eyes. 

Continue reading to learn more about sunburned eyes, including symptoms, treatment, and prevention.

Symptoms of Sunburned Eyes

If you have an eye sunburn, you will likely notice symptoms after spending a few hours in the sun without eye protection. Symptoms can include:

• Blurred vision
• Eye twitches
• Feeling grittiness, or having something in your eye
• Having halos or spots in your vision
• Headache
• Pain or burning
• Redness in the eyeball or the conjunctiva, the area around the eye
• Sensitivity to light
• Small pupils
• Swollen eyes
• Tearing
• Temporary vision loss (in rare cases)

How Sunburned Eyes Are Treated

Usually, the symptoms of an eye sunburn go away on their own within a day or two. During that time, try not to itch or rub your eyes. If you’re concerned, however, you can reach out to your healthcare provider. Just as with a regular sunburn, there are ways to get sunburn relief at home, including:

• Avoiding sun and other bright light
• Putting a cool compress on your eyes
• Taking over-the-counter pain relievers
• Using artificial tears to moisturize your eyes

In some cases, your eye healthcare provider might recommend using antibiotic eye drops, but always talk with your healthcare provider before putting anything in your eyes. 

Prevention: When to Be Careful

You are most at risk for an eye sunburn when you’re around water or snow for a long period of time. Activities like skiing, surfing, or boating can increase your risk of an eye sunburn since UV light reflects off of water and snow, and directs harmful rays toward your eyes. 

By Water

Light reflecting off water or snow can result in more UV rays hitting your eyes, leading to an eye sunburn. If you’re spending the day on the water, wear wraparound sunglasses. 

In the Mountains

High elevations have a thinner atmosphere that offers less protection from UV light. If you are on snow-covered mountains, your risk is compounded as the sun reflects off the snow. 

Artificial UV Light

It’s possible to be exposed to harmful UV rays indoors too. Any bright lights can hurt your eyes, including tanning beds, welding equipment, and lasers.

How to Protect Your Eyes

The best way to protect your eyes is by wearing sunglasses and a hat with a wide brim when you are outside. Inside, wear eye protection whenever you’re around bright lights. 

Choose sunglasses with a UV 400 rating or that’s labeled “100% UV protection.” These offer the most eye protection. The darkness of the lens does not necessarily indicate better UV protection. Light-colored lenses with the proper UV rating can protect your eyes equally well from UV rays. If possible, choose sunglasses that wrap around your face to protect your eyes from UV rays coming from the side. During the winter, wear snow goggles with UV protection. Polarized sunglasses can also help cut down on glare and protect your eyes from UV rays.

Remember that kids need sunglasses with UV protection too. Sunglasses aren’t just for the summer months but are a good safety measure year round—just like sunblock.

When to Contact a Healthcare Provider

Talk to your healthcare provider if:

• You experience very painful sunburned eyes that last for longer than two days.
• You experience temporary vision loss of any substantial vision changes.
• You need prescription sunglasses.
• You need guidance on what eye protection is best for your activities. 

Summary

UV rays can damage the eyes in the same way they damage the skin. This can cause sunburned eyes, which are painful, red, or swollen. Usually an eye sunburn goes away in a day or two, but repeated eye sunburns can cause complications and long-term eye damage.

Sunglasses or goggles that offer a UV 400 rating or with a label saying “100% UV protection,” will block the most harmful rays and protect your eyes from the sun. It’s especially important to wear eye protection when you’re around snow or water, which can reflect harmful UV rays and amplify the damage caused.