Higher sun exposure may up risk of eye freckles
A higher lifetime exposure to
sunlight may increase the risk of developing eye freckles or dark spots on the
coloured part of the eye (iris), researchers warned. The findings showed that
eye freckles could indicate the presence or risk of sunlight-triggered eye
diseases like cataract or macular degeneration.
Further, the development of eye
freckles also correlated with increasing age, lifetime number of sunburns and a
history of severe sunburns resulting in blisters, the researchers reported.
"While we do not know the exact
role of sunlight in several eye diseases, we now have a biomarker (iris
freckles) indicating high amounts of chronic sunlight exposure," said
Christoph Schwab, ophthalmologist at the Medical University of Graz in Austria.
In addition, people with dark coloured eyes were found less likely to have eye
freckles, as well as those who maintained better sun protection habits like
using sunscreen or covering up.
For the study, published in the journal
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, over 600 swimmers at public
pools in Styria, Austria, had their eyes examined for freckles and filled out a
questionnaire that asked about their lifetime sun exposure and sun-protection
habits.
Researchers also found that freckles
were most commonly found in the lower outer quadrant (away from the nose) of
each eye.
This may be because the eyebrow and
nose shield the upper and inner quadrants of the eye from the sun, lowering
exposure and the risk of developing freckles, Schwab explained.
24.07.2017
The best dreams happen when you
are awake
Cherie Gilderbloom
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