The
eyes, being sensitive organs of our body, need utmost care. With changes in
climatic conditions, eyes encounter a lot of stress, leading to complications
in many. Air pollution, unhindered in many developing countries due to massive
construction activities and overpopulation, has affected eye health. Unlike
asthma, which is much discussed due to the rise in air pollution, eye health
due to air pollution is also in the limelight these days.
Causes
Winters
in many parts of India are linked with air pollution due to stubble burning in
the northern part of the country, pollution from vehicles, construction-related
activities across the country, etc. Eye being sensitive comes under the direct
impact of air pollution.
Air
pollution can be in many forms, like fog and smog that contains carbon
monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, asbestos, benzene, particulate
matter, arsenic, lead, dioxin, and chlorofluorocarbons along with smoke, which
can act as irritants when it comes to in contact with the eyes.
Symptoms
Having
red, itchy eyes after a post-morning walk brings much-needed stress and strain
to the eyes. Ultimately, it leads to dry eye syndrome. Pollution prevents the
eyes from forming enough tears where the eyes are not moistened and
appropriately nourished. The tiny particles can melt with tears, coating the
eye’s surface and resulting in adverse effects. Enduring long exposure could
lead to an increased risk of infections as well. Air pollution may exacerbate
dry eye disease.
Role of indoor air pollution
Only
outdoor pollution is not to be blamed for eye health. Indoor air pollution has
a more prominent role to play. Indoor air pollution can be in the form of
tobacco smoking, heating, cooking, or poor indoor ventilation, leading to
several eye diseases. The eye diseases include conjunctivitis, glaucoma,
cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, ocular disease, glaucoma,
retinopathy, maculopathy, cataracts, uveitis, etc.
Indoor
tobacco smoking in the form of cigarettes also results in symptoms such as
itchiness, redness, and irritation of the eyes. Cataracts have extensively been
linked to cigarette smoking.
To mitigate the crisis
With
pollution levels unabated, special care must be taken to ensure eye health
remains intact. Wearing sunglasses while venturing out, applying eye drops in
consultation with medicos, cleaning eyes with water occasionally, etc, can
mitigate the crisis to some level. Though various research activities are being
undertaken to know more about the exposure patterns and ocular effects, time is
running high before things turn worse when maintaining healthy eyes.
