Bird Wing Disease Risk in Sunlight

Stating that looking directly at the sun affects almost all layers of the eye, Medipol Mega University Hospital Ophthalmologist Dr. Instructor Prof. Dr. Sezer Hacıağaoğlu said, “Looking directly at the sun can increase exposure to UV-A and UV-B, causing burns in the cornea, which is the front transparent layer of the eye, and cause pterygium disease in the conjunctiva, popularly known as bird wings.

Informing that the air temperature and therefore the evaporation increase especially between 10.00 and 15.00 hours, Hacıağaoğlu said, “Between these hours, our tears evaporate much faster, and accordingly, complaints such as burning, stinging and redness in the eyes can be seen. Those who have to go out during these hours should definitely wear protective hats and sunglasses, and keep the time they are outside as short as possible. If you have a previously diagnosed dry eye disease, artificial tear drops without preservatives should be instilled more frequently. Especially our patients diagnosed with dry eye and under treatment; Due to the increased evaporation in the summer period, tear drops should never be interrupted. In case of an increase in his complaints despite the current treatments, he should definitely consult an ophthalmologist.” made his statements.

Hacıağaoğlu said, “Looking at the sun with the naked eye, walking around when the sun is at its strongest, wearing poor quality sunglasses, taking a break from the eye drops recommended by your doctor, entering the pool and the sea with contact lenses are among the top 5 mistakes made in summer. The consequences of these risky behaviors can be severe. Especially in the summer season, we should pay the same attention to our eye health as much as our skin.

Referring to the heavy tables that can be experienced as a result of the mistakes made in the summer months, Dr. Instructor Member Sezer Hacıağaoğlu pointed out that these errors can lead to redness, dryness, inflammation, infection, corneal burns, bird wing disease, cataract development, and vision loss by causing permanent changes in the retina.

Pointing out that the light-blocking power of sunglasses can be understood by the phrases on the certificate such as UV200, UV400 and UV600, Hacıağaoğlu said, “The lenses of the sunglasses must be fully UV protected. Full UV protection means that sunglasses lenses provide at least 99 percent blocking against both UVA and UVB. Sunglasses with a minimum of UV400 protection should be used, especially at the seaside. If we choose sunglasses without UV protection, our eyes will reflexively enlarge their pupils, thinking that they have entered a darker environment due to the dark glass color. This will cause more ultraviolet light to enter the eyes. For this reason, sunglasses with UV protection certificate should be preferred. he stated.

Stating that entering the pool and the sea with contact lenses increases the risk of infection that can be transmitted to our eyes from the water, Hacıağaoğlu made the following suggestions;

Chemicals used in the disinfection of pool water can both disrupt the structure of the contact lens and cause eye inflammation due to chemicals. We recommend our patients who insist on this issue to prefer daily disposable lenses instead of monthly lenses. We also recommend our patients to wear swimming goggles to reduce the contact of the eyes with the water when entering the water.