Serious sunburn risk many Australians don’t even know about
Most Australians know the signs of sunburn but did you know there’s one vital part of our bodies that people of all ages often overlook? Here’s how to mind your eyes and why we all should
READING LEVEL: GREEN
As Australians, we all know what sunburn looks like. Lobster red skin. Peeling nose and shoulders. A mistake paid for hours later when the pain of burnt skin kicks in.
But what too many Aussies don’t realise is that the sun can burn another part of the body just as easily – the eyes.
According to optometrists*, UV radiation* can cause photokeratitis, commonly described as sunburn of the eye. Yet many people wouldn’t recognise eye damage if it was happening to them.
A YouGov survey revealed more than half of Australians wouldn’t be confident spotting the signs and symptoms of sun damage to their eyes. Among those who rarely or never wear sunglasses, that figure jumps to seven in ten.
Optometrist Dr Joe Paul said the lack of awareness was concerning, particularly in a country with some of the highest UV levels in the world.
“UV levels in Australia are high enough to cause sunburn to the eyes, known as photokeratitis, which can be painful and may lead to longer-term damage if it happens repeatedly over time,” he told news.com.au.
Dr Paul said while sunburn on the skin was usually obvious, eye damage often wasn’t. It could develop gradually and feel more like irritation than pain – symptoms people often dismissed as dry eyes, tiredness or glare after a long day outdoors.
“When people think about sun safety, they often focus on skin protection – like sunscreen, hats, and clothing – but eye protection is frequently overlooked,” Dr Paul said.
“What people forget about their eyes is that, like skin, UV can cause both short and long-term damage. It is critical to protect our eyes.”
SAFE SUNNIES
It’s never too early to start wearing sunnies – many brands stock cool sunglasses for kids. But choosing your first pair is not just about style – it’s about future proofing your sight. Research conducted by Specsavers found over two in five Australians don’t consider UV protection when buying sunglasses, while more than half prioritise style over sun safety.
Even among Aussies who already wear sunglasses regularly, nearly three in 10 believe all sunglasses provide similar UV protection, meaning some could be wearing pairs that aren’t offering much protection at all.
Dr Paul recommended checking sunglass labels to ensure they’re actually blocking harmful UV rays.
“Look for sunglasses that are Category 2 or higher. Categories lower than that (1 and 0) may not offer full UV protection,” he said.
Without proper protection, that damage adds up and by the time symptoms are obvious, changes to the eye may already be permanent.
“The sun’s UV rays can cause irreversible* damage to the eyes,” Dr Paul said.
Too many Australians still underestimate* just how often their eyes are exposed to harmful UV rays, especially when it doesn’t feel “that sunny”.
“Sunglasses are not only for bright, sunny days, they are important even on overcast days,” Dr Paul said.
With high UV levels a fact of life in Australia, experts say eye protection needs to be taken just as seriously as sunscreen.
“As important as it is to apply sunscreen regularly and wear a wide-brimmed hat
during high summer, eye protection should be treated as an everyday essential, not just
something you wear at the beach on a hot day,” Dr Paul said.
“It’s crucial for all Australians to wear sunglasses every day to protect their sight.”
LONG-TERM EFFECTS ON UNPROTECTED EYES
Unprotected exposure to the sun’s UV rays over time could increase the risk of conditions like cataracts*, photokeratitis, pterygiums* and cancers on and around the eyes, Dr Paul said.
Pterygiums are fleshy growths that slowly spread across the eye and worsen over time. Cataracts and eye cancers have also been linked to years of UV exposure.
POLL
GLOSSARY
- optometrist: someone whose job involves testing people’s sight, and making or selling glasses and contact lenses
- UV radiation: ultraviolet radiation, invisible rays that are part of the energy that comes from the sun
- irreversible: cannot be undone or fixed, impossible to return to previous state
- underestimate: fail to guess or understand the real cost, size, difficulty of something
- cataracts: cloudy layers over a person’s eyes that prevent them from seeing properly
EXTRA READING
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Danger! You’re not wearing enough sunscreen
QUICK QUIZ
- What proportion of Australians are not confident of being able to spot the symptoms of sun damage to their eye, according to a YouGov survey?
- Among people who don’t wear sunglasses regularly, what proportion are not confident of being able to spot the symptoms of sun damage to their eyes?
- When buying sunglasses, what is the minimum rating of UV protection Dr Paul recommended?
- Unprotected exposure to the sun’s UV rays could increase the risk of what eye conditions?
- What proportion of Australians don’t consider sun protection when buying sunglasses?
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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. What can we learn?
Do you wear a school uniform? Design a pair of Safe School Sunnies that would match your school uniform and be practical and safe for kids to wear every day at school. Remember to think about design features that will help your sunnies stand up to the toughest school day!
Time: allow at least 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Design and Technology
2. Extension
Do you think sunglasses should be compulsory for all school kids? Write a very convincing paragraph that will convince all teachers to agree with your opinion on this question.
Time: allow at least 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links English, Science, Health and Physical Education
VCOP ACTIVITY
Read with Kung Fu punctuation
Pair up with the article between you and stand up to make it easy to demonstrate your Kung Fu punctuation.
Practise reading one sentence at a time. Now read it again, while acting out the punctuation as you read.
Read and act three sentences before swapping with your partner.
Take two turns each.
Now ask your partner to read a sentence out loud while you try and act out the punctuation. Can you keep up? Swap over?
Try acting out two sentences – are you laughing yet?