We all know to apply sunscreen when spending time outdoors on a sunny day to prevent uncomfortable sunburns. But did you know that it’s not just your skin that can get burned? Your eyes are also vulnerable to sun damage!

Photophthalmia—eye inflammation from exposure to ultraviolet rays, which are emitted by the sun—can occur from prolonged sun exposure.

A brief glance at the sun may just leave you with temporary spots in your vision, but any more than that could leave you with damage to the soft tissue that makes up your cornea—the structure in your eye that protects the iris and pupil—which, in some cases, can be permanent and increase your chance of developing cataracts.

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A burn at the corneal level is called photokeratitis, and you don’t need to stare directly at the Sun to get it. Bright reflections, such as off snow or water, can also cause your cornea to burn.

In extreme cases, you could even burn and scar your retina (the soft tissue at the back of the eye)—this is called solar retinopathy. This, however, is most common when staring directly at a solar eclipse without proper eye protection.

What to look out for

The prolonged symptoms to look out for that could indicate sun damage to your eyes are