During the summer, the sun is blazing, people are spending time at the beach, outdoors and getting tan. But one important thing people don’t think about when they put on sunscreen is to wear glasses as well to protect them from the suns UVA and UVB radiation. Yes, your eyes can get sunburnt. Even on cloudy days, the reflection of light and UVA radiation is still powerful enough to cause sun damaged eyes. Failure to wear sunglasses or allow sun damage to the eyes can cause cataracts and possibly blindness in the long run.

Symptoms:

• Itchy
• Irritated
• Red
• Dry
• Gritty

A recent study done by the vision councils website, only thirty one percent of people are aware that their eyes can get sunburnt. In just fifteen minutes of of raw eye exposure, damage could occur. This is remarkable and there is only one way to prevent this and that is by wearing sun glasses.

Although it may seem obvious that some eye conditions are caused by the sun, it is not alway easy to blame the cause on one single variable. There are many confounding variables involved with research on eye issues. Since many eye diseases can have multiple causing factors, like genetics, medications ect, there are many potential confounding variables. Many people swear to themselves that their eyes have never been sunburnt and they may be right. Since many people live in colder environments or days when it is cloudy out, it could be hard to convince them that they should still be wearing sun glasses because it could seem over pre-cautious and they may not look “cool.” According to the American Scientist Society, during cloudy  conditions, eighty percent of the radiation that causes harmful effects to our body still reach through to the surface. 

Null Hypothesis: sun can not cause damage to the eyes on cloudy days.

Alternative Hypothesis: Sun can cause damage to the eyes if its cloudy.

Using evidence and some common sense, it is definitely the best option to reject the null and accept the alternative hypothesis. With this being said, there could be a high probability that clouds don’t significantly lower any risk of eye damage. One prime example that shows weather does not have an effect on sun damage is mountain goers. For instance, in the dead winter months people go snow boarding and skiing in places like Colorado and Utah every year, the very last thing people think about as they ascend up a mountain is if they put on sunscreen or to protect their eyes from dangerous sun rays. It might sound stupid to think about, but you still put yourself at risk of sun damage, especially at higher altitudes, regardless if its cold out.

Even though it may seem common sense like to conclude that sun exposure causes damage to the eyes, many people overlook this thought and don’t take precautions like wearing sunglasses  especially just because it is cold or cloudy out.