About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffIt's not clear whether eye melanoma can be prevented. There's little evidence to suggest that ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun may increase the risk of eye melanoma. To protect your eye from UV light, eye doctors recommend wearing sunglasses to protect your eyes. But while sunglasses aren't proven to prevent eye melanoma, they may help reduce your risk of other eye conditions, such as cataracts.
When selecting sunglasses, look for ones that have:
- Protection against two types of UV light. Two types of UV light can damage your eyes — UVA and UVB. Look for sunglasses that block both types.
- Uniform tinting. Look for lenses that are uniformly dark. Avoid lenses that seem lighter in some spots and darker in others.
- Dark lenses. Try the sunglasses on and look into a mirror. If you can clearly see your eyes through the lenses, the sunglasses aren't dark enough.
- Frames that block light from the side. Some frames, called wraparound frames, are made to block light from the side.
- Augsburger JJ, et al. Uveal melanoma. In: Yanoff M, et al. Ophthalmology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/199400089-5/0/1869/0.html. Accessed May 4, 2010.
- Intraocular (eye) melanoma treatment. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/intraocularmelanoma/patient/allpages. Accessed May 4, 2010.
- Simar K. The fundamentals of uveal melanoma. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing. 2009;13:483.
- Shields CL, et al. Ocular melanoma: Relatively rare but requiring respect. Clinics in Dermatology. 2009;27:122.
- Gragoudas ES, et al. Ocular melanoma. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 6, 2010.
- Surgical procedures. American Society of Ocularists. http://www.ocularist.org/resources_surgical_procedures.asp. Accessed May 6, 2010.
- Ihrig C, et al. Acquired monocular vision rehabilitation program. Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development. 2007;44:593.
- Occupational therapy services for individuals with visual impairment. American Occupational Therapy Association. http://www.aota.org/Practitioners/PracticeAreas/Rehab/Tools/38508.aspx. Accessed May 6, 2010.
- Shopping guide for sunglasses. American Optometric Association. http://www.aoa.org/documents/SunglassShoppingGuide0810.pdf. Accessed May 6, 2010.
- Roberston DM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. May 22, 2010.
- How is eye cancer diagnosed? American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_3x_how_is_eye_cancer_diagnosed_74.asp. Accessed May 24, 2010.
- Surgery. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_4X_Surgery_74.asp?rnav=cri. Accessed May 24, 2010.
- Damato B, et al. Surgical resection of uveal melanoma. In: Albert DM, et al. Albert & Jakobiec's Principles and Practice of Ophthalmology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier;2008:4913.
Find Mayo Clinic on