OTHER RISKS TO YOUR EYES IN HOLIDAY SEASON

MOST of us know the dangers the sun poses to our skin and we’ll make an effort with sunscreen. But chances are we’ll miss a key area — the skin around our eyes.

Eyelids and the surrounding area are a hot spot for cancer because the skin is thinner, and it often goes unprotected.

Around 13,600 cases of eyelid cancers are diagnosed each year, making up around 10 per cent of non-malignant skin cancers diagnosed in the UK.

The most common types are basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, which may start off as small pimples or fleshy bumps but can grow, bleed and crust over.

Other changes you should look out for include-redness and inflammation of the eyelids, unexplained eyelash loss, and the eyelashes turning white, caused by pigment cells being affected by the cancer. You should see your GP if you notice any of these changes.

The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can also damage the eyes, causing sunburn to the eye’s surface as well as contributing to cataracts in the long term.

For example, UV damage can lead to photokeratitis, a type of sunburn of the cornea, the clear part at the front of the eye. This can be treated with mild steroid drops.

Cataracts, a condition where the lens in the eye becomes cloudy and vision is blurred, is also thought to be accelerated by UV damage. It is thought that sunlight encourages proteins in the lens to clump together, which makes it cloud over.