traditionally used by the
Inuit Photokeratitis can be prevented by using
sunglasses or eye protection that transmits 5–10% of visible light and absorbs almost all UV rays. Additionally, these glasses should have large lenses and side shields to avoid incidental light exposure. Sunglasses should always be worn, even when the sky is overcast, as UV rays can pass through clouds.
Inuit,
Yupik, and other
circumpolar peoples have carved
snow goggles from materials such as
driftwood or
antlers of
caribou to help prevent snow blindness for millennia. Curved to fit the user's face with a large groove cut in the back to allow for the nose, the goggles allow in a small amount of light through a long thin slit cut along their length. The goggles are held to the head by a cord made of caribou
sinew. In the event of missing sunglass lenses, emergency lenses can be made by cutting slits in dark fabric or tape folded back onto itself. The
SAS Survival Guide recommends blackening the skin underneath the eyes with
charcoal (as the
ancient Egyptians did) to avoid any further reflection.
Arctic and Antarctic explorers Explorers of the polar regions employed various methods and materials to protect their eyes from the harsh glare in snowy environments.
Edward Evans noted the popularity of yellow and orange-tinted glasses among explorers, though some showed a preference for green. Despite the availability of blue and purple glasses,
Edward L. Atkinson advised that all glasses, regardless of colour, should undergo spectroscope testing to ensure effectiveness.
Robert Falcon Scott favoured a more rudimentary approach, opting for goggles crafted from leather or wood with narrow slits, which prevented the accumulation of frost. A similar design principle was also applied in emergency situations, such as when the Swedish expedition, after being shipwrecked, fashioned makeshift goggles from wood or wire frames covered with fabric from a Swedish flag. The
Royal Geographical Society's guidance for travellers included a technique used by indigenous peoples of high-altitude regions, which involved darkening the skin around the eyes and nose to mitigate the risk of snow blindness. This method was adopted by the Terra Nova northern party in the absence of traditional goggles. The impact of snow blindness extended to animals as well; the expedition’s horses suffered from the condition.
Lawrence Oates proposed dyeing the horses’ forelocks as a preventative measure, and they were also equipped with tassels over their eyes for protection. Similarly, mules were provided with canvas snow goggles, demonstrating the breadth of strategies developed to combat this pervasive issue during polar exploration. == Treatment ==