Can ultraviolet light damage the eyes?
Ultraviolet exposure is associated with damage to the surface of the eye, with cataract and with growths on the conjunctiva, and the effect accumulates over a lifetime.
- Subject
- Eye health
- Topic
- UV, screens & protection
- Kind of question
- Other questions
- Last reviewed
- 22 September 2026
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Where this answer sits
It is one of 483 answers in the vision and eye health knowledge base, filed under Everyday eye health in UV, screens & protection . The subject page carries the answers either side of it, and the hub is searchable.
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
General answers cannot tell you what is happening in your own eyes. Only an examination by a qualified ophthalmologist can do that.
Sources & further reading
We prefer primary sources. Where a claim comes from a manufacturer, a single study or a regulator, it is labelled as such below.
- Eye Health Information
Condition-by-condition eye health information from a US government research institute, written for patients rather than for clinicians.
Used for Plain-language explanations of eye conditions and their symptoms; Healthy vision and screening guidance.
Link checked 23 September 2026
- Blindness and vision impairment
The WHO overview of vision impairment, including the conditions that account for most avoidable sight loss worldwide.
Used for Framing uncorrected refractive error as a public health issue rather than a lifestyle one.
Link checked 23 September 2026