Ultraviolet light, UV for short, is an often ignored part of the light spectrum, mostly because it is invisible to the naked eye. The short-term dangers of UV exposure are usually fairly minor and merely annoying. However, the long-term dangers of UV light pose a serious risk that all too often ends in severe disabilities, and even death. Some people falsely believe that one can train the body to handle UV rays; this is not true.
Identification
Ultraviolet light is not a part of the visible light spectrum for humans, but certain insects and animals can see UV light. The UV spectrum is divided into three parts: near, far and extreme UV light. Almost all UV light of differing wavelengths comes from the sun. Most of this UV light gets deflected back into space by ozone present in Earth's atmosphere. Exactly how much depends on the weather conditions of the day.
Sunburn
UV light has extremely short wavelengths, which result in very high levels of radiating energy. When you stand outside and absorb too many UV rays, the skin weakens, then blood is sent to the "burn" area, hence the red coloration of a sunburn. Not everyone gets sunburned equally, or at all. Darker-skinned people have more melanin, which safely absorbs UV energy.
Cancer
While short-term exposure to UV light usually just leads to a bad sunburn, prolonged exposure has been linked to skin cancer. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, UV damages the skin's DNA, and while the body does have defenses and repair mechanisms for this, our bodies are not perfect, and sometimes the DNA becomes permanently damaged.
Eye Damage
While the possibility of skin cancer from overexposure to UV light often is the prime concern, the eyes are sometimes forgotten and are very susceptible to UV damage. Like short-term damage to the skin, limited eye exposure to UV rays does not cause much harm except for minor discomfort. But over longer periods of time, UV rays help exacerbate the aging of eyes, inducing cataracts and blindness.
Misconceptions
Many falsely believe tanning can actually help prevent the risk of UV exposure by increasing the amount of melanin in the skin. This unfortunately is a logical, but wrong conclusion. The Skin Cancer Foundation reports that only naturally occurring melanin protects against UV damage. Darkening the skin through tanning is just the body's reaction to too much sunlight.
Tags: light spectrum, Cancer Foundation, falsely believe, skin cancer, Skin Cancer Foundation, Ultraviolet light
