SUNDAY, Dec. 28 (HealthDayNews) -- When you're ready to hit those ski slopes this winter, be sure to keep your eyes from going downhill.

Intense sunlight and highly reflective snow can combine to cause temporary snow blindness or increase your risk of such eye problems as cataracts or macular degeneration, according to the British Columbia Association of Optometrists.

Snow blindness, or sunburn on the eye, is a painful condition that's caused by ultraviolet (UV) exposure, wind and dry winter air. Most of the eye damage caused by UV radiation happens over time, and can't be reversed.

So guard your eyes from the sun by wearing goggles that block those damaging UV rays.

Those who love to play in the snow at higher altitudes are particularly at risk. Many ski resorts in North America and Europe are at or above 5,000 feet, a point where there is 20 percent more UV radiation than there is at sea level.

Remember that UV exposure is greatest between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. And don't be lulled into a false sense of eye security on cloudy days, because UV radiation still finds its way through overcast skies. Watch out for new-fallen snow, which is about 75 percent reflective. That compares to grass at about 5 percent and water at about 10 percent, according to the New Brunswick Association of Optometrists.

When you buy ski goggles, make sure they screen 99 percent to 100 percent of UV and they're made of polycarbonate so they won't shatter.

Different tints fit different weather conditions: An all-purpose tint is gray; cinnamon or amber tints are for hazy days; and a vermilion or yellow tint helps on foggy days. Hint: You can buy goggles with interchangeable lenses.

More information

For an eyeful of information, go to Prevent Blindness America.