BENGALURU: With the ultraviolet (UV) index in Bengaluru touching an extreme level of 13 this year, doctors in the city are urging residents to take precautions against prolonged sun exposure, warning that intense UV radiation can cause both immediate and long-term health problems.UV levels above 8 are considered harmful, as they can cause significant skin and eye damage, including sunburn, cataracts and dehydration. Explaining the unusual spike, Dr Balakrishna G K, HOD and senior consultant, internal medicine at Gleneagles BGS Hospital, Kengeri, said, “As Bengaluru is at an elevation, we are closer to sun exposure too. While in peak summer the UV index usually reaches around 12, this year it is already at 13, and anything beyond 12 is considered very serious. If not careful, one can even lose eyesight or suffer serious metabolic issues or heat syncope.“
Dermatologists in the city say clinics are already seeing patients with heat-related skin problems. Dr Safia Tanyeem, a consultant dermatologist at Apollo Medical Centre, said acute exposure to UV rays can cause several immediate skin conditions. “The acute effects on skin include sunburn, itching, redness, oozing lesions and even allergic reactions. UV exposure can also lead to tanning and aggravate conditions such as photomelanosis (hyperpigmentation) and photodermatitis,” she said.“In the long run, it can speed up the ageing process by increasing wrinkles and fine lines, and aggravate melasma and freckles. While it is not very common, there is also a possibility of skin cancer due to increased UV exposure,” she said, adding that patients started visiting clinics as early as the second half of Feb.Eye specialists also warn that UV radiation can affect vision, both in the short and long terms. Dr Preethi V, medical superintendent at Nethradhama Super Speciality Eye Hospital, Yelahanka, explained that short-term exposure to intense UV rays can lead to conditions such as photokeratitis and photoconjunctivitis. “These can occur even after brief exposure and cause symptoms like redness, light sensitivity, grittiness and the sensation of a foreign body in the eye,” she said.Prolonged exposure to UV radiation can lead to more serious eye problems, including pterygium (tissue growth over the cornea), pinguecula (conjunctival bumps), corneal degeneration and accelerated cataract formation. “Chronic exposure can also damage the retina and increase the risk of age-related macular degeneration. Direct sun-gazing can burn the retina and cause solar retinopathy. Long-term exposure can even lead to eyelid cancers such as basal or squamous cell carcinoma,” she added.
