Adverse effects of fog are not limited to morning commute

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A blanket of fog engulfed the San Joaquin Valley Monday morning sticking around longer than expected.

"Driving in the fog it will tire your eyes out more because your brain interprets that as blur," said 20/20 Optometric of Fresno Dr.Thomas Casagrande.

Sanger resident Mao Thao has lived in the area for thirty years and notices her eyes are most strained when driving at dawn in foggy conditions.

"You feel like your eyes are foggy too but you are focusing with what you have, glasses or contacts," said Thao.

"The eyes straining more because it's interpreting it as glare," said Dr. Casagrande.

He says impacted depth perception, eye strain, and headaches are common with foggy conditions.

"There's a lot of ultraviolet light, it bounces around more and it can bother our eyes more, you want to reduce the glare," said Casagrande.

He suggests using yellow polarized lenses to assist with driving in the elements.

When dealing with snow, UV damage can be long-lasting, leading to snow blindness or exposure keratitis.

"Ultraviolet light actually causes the skin of the eye to peel off," said Dr. Casagrande.