UV light is a danger to eyesight

UV Rays May Cause Significant Damage To Unprotected Eyes.
HealthDay (8/20, Thompson) reported that "ultraviolet, or UV, rays can cause significant damage to unprotected eyes, resulting in a number of illnesses and disorders that can rob people of their sight." Over the long term, UV exposure can play a role in the development of cataracts, macular degeneration, and even cancer. "The eye tends to develop melanoma, while the eyelids usually are inflicted with basal cell carcinoma." Eye experts recommend that people wear sunglasses "rated to absorb 99 to 100 percent of both UV-A and UV-B radiation." And, because the majority of sun exposure happens early in life, parents should make sure their children wear sunglasses, too.
UV Exposure To Eye May Cause A Pterygium. In a related story, HealthDay (8/20, Thompson) reported that cumulative UV exposure to the eye may cause "a pterygium, a non-cancerous growth that forms on the clear, thin tissue that covers the white part of the eye. ... If left alone, they eventually can grow large enough to cover the cornea and impair sight." The growths can be surgically removed.