
The Dangers of UV Rays Indoors and How to Avoid Them
Most of us already understand that excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays has negative effects on humans, ranging from skin damage to other diseases. This effect can be felt both when you are outside and indoors. These are the dangers of UV rays indoors that you need to understand and how to avoid them.
A. Dangers of UV Rays Indoors
1. Skin Damage
One of the negative effects of UV exposure is skin damage. This negative effect is one of the most discussed things by the public because it is quite frightening about the threat. Excessive UV exposure, even if it is indoor, will still harm your skin.
Quoted from the Alodokter website, one form of skin damage caused by UV exposure is sunburn. This condition will make the skin look reddish accompanied by warmth and pain when touched. Symptoms of sunburn usually appear within a few hours after excessive exposure to UV rays.
Although it seems simple, the condition of sunburn should not be taken lightly. If not treated quickly and appropriately, sunburn will worsen and cause other conditions, such as blistering and swelling of the skin. If this happens to you, see a doctor immediately.
Another type of skin damage caused by UV rays that can harm you is skin cancer. A common cause of this cancer is overexposure to UV rays. Cancer cells generally form on parts of the body that are frequently exposed to sunlight, such as the face, hands, and neck.
This condition is relatively rare. However, if not treated immediately, the condition can be dangerous and life-threatening. This is because cancer cells will damage other parts of the skin and internal organs.
2. Eye Damage
The impact of excessive UV exposure that you also need to be aware of is the risk of damage to the eyes. Not only the skin, but eyes also need to be protected from excessive exposure to UV rays. This is because the eyes are one of the organs most susceptible to damage due to exposure to UV rays.
The negative effect of excessive exposure to UV rays on the eyes is the risk of damage to these organs. This eye damage can take the form of various things, such as decreased ability to see colors, blurred vision, and the risk of permanent blindness. Therefore, you need to protect your eyes from excessive exposure to UV rays even indoors.
3. Furniture and Flooring Fading
It is important to understand that UV rays can fade the color of furniture and floors in your home. As proof, you can check and compare the color of the outer and inner walls of your house. If it has been painted a long time ago, the color of the exterior walls will fade more quickly compared to the color of the interior walls.
The color of items in your room will fade more quickly if they are exposed to UV light continuously without a barrier. For example, the color of a wooden chair in your home will quickly fade if placed in a place that is often exposed to direct sunlight. Therefore, choosing the placement of furniture is important in the building construction process.
4. Health Risks
Excessive exposure to UV rays also has negative effects on health. One of the negative impacts is a decrease in the immune system. Scientists believe that excessive sun exposure can change the distribution and function of white blood cells for up to 24 hours after exposure to sunlight.
As is known, white blood cells play an important role in maintaining the body’s immunity and fighting disease. If white blood cells are affected, the risk of damage to the immune system increases. This of course endangers the body’s health and increases the risk of disease in the future.
Another negative effect of excess UV rays is aging. Excessive exposure to UV rays will accelerate the appearance of signs of aging on the body, such as fine lines, dark spots, and wrinkles.
B. How to Avoid UV Rays Indoors
1. Use UV-Blocking Window Film
Those dangers of UV rays indoors may worry you so much. However, you still need to think and take precautions so that the risks above can be minimized. You can take several precautions, such as installing anti-UV window film in your home.
Installing UV-blocking window film is very beneficial for you. This is because by installing this type of window film you will avoid the risk of damage due to indoor UV rays. In addition, this method is the most effective way to prevent excessive exposure to UV rays indoors.
Choose the best quality window film and make sure the window film can block UV rays from entering your room. Apart from that, you also need to ensure that the installation of UV-blocking window film in your home goes well and is carried out according to procedures so that the window film installed is not wasted.
2. Close Curtains and Blinds
Another relatively simple way to prevent UV rays from entering the room is to close the curtains and blinds in your home. This method is the simplest way you can prevent the risks previously explained while maintaining the privacy of the occupants of the house.
You can open the curtains and blinds at certain times when needed. For example, in the morning before you move, you can open the curtains and blinds in your house to get exposure to sunlight to increase your energy for work. You can also open the curtains and blinds in your home if necessary at other times.
3. Install UV-Blocking Glass
Installing UV-blocking glass is a smart choice to avoid the risk of UV exposure. One of the UV-blocking glass brands that offer high quality is LuxeCool. You can use the LuxeCool PREMACY Series to be installed in your home so that the occupants of your home are protected from the dangers of UV exposure.
LuxeCool PREMACY Series is created to achieve maximum heat reduction. It also fully (100%) rejects ultraviolet (UV) light at a wavelength of 400nm. Therefore, this series is perfect for you to use at home to protect you and your loved ones.
4. Use UV-Protective Coatings
A UV-protective coating is usually found in glasses to protect users from the risk of excessive UV exposure. This layer is usually added to sunglasses or eyeglass lenses to block UV radiation from reaching the user’s eyes and skin.
There is also a UV-protective coating used to coat windows. Certain brands have added this technology to the products they sell so that window film can protect occupants from excessive exposure to UV rays.
5. Stay Informed
The negative effects of UV exposure indoors are indeed alarming. However, you still have to think clearly to avoid the risks. Some of the previous things you can do to prevent these risks.
There is also another thing you can do to prevent the negative effects of indoor UV rays, which is to stay informed. You need to get the latest and most comprehensive information to improve your understanding of UV rays and current conditions. For example, stay updated on the daily UV index in your city. This is to prevent you from going out at times when the UV index is high.
These are some of the ways you can avoid the dangers of UV rays indoors. Make sure you stay healthy, think clearly, and stay informed so that you have enough information to do activities indoors regardless of the UV index.