Air pollution has the potential to wreak havoc on one’s health in a myriad amount of ways. In fact, one study produced just reported that globally, over 5 million people lost their lives to the effects of air pollution last year. Below, we cover adverse effects of air pollution on the eye.
Adverse Effects of Air Pollution on the Eye
This is no less true than for one’s eyes. Although it isn’t as obvious as air pollution’s negative effects on one’s respiratory tract, the eyes often bear the brunt of the negative effects of air pollution.
If you’re concerned about what air pollution might be doing to your eyes, take a look at this overview of some of the hazards it presents.
Global Pollution
One of the negative consequences of our modern world is the prevalence of air pollution. Pollution is comprised of harmful chemical particulate matter that begins to fill the natural atmosphere. Pollution has many sources and is a problem nearly everywhere you go on Earth.
There are many different diseases that can come from extended exposure to air pollution. Some examples include:
- Glaucoma
- Cataracts
- Age-related Macular Degeneration
- Conjunctivitis
These diseases have the potential to be seriously harmful for your long-term vision. In some cases, they have the potential to remove your ability to see completely.
Pollution and Your Eyes
Air pollution primarily impacts the eyes via irritation and inflammation by constant exposure to harmful chemicals in the air. Some of the harmful chemicals in air pollution that people are commonly exposed to include carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide.
The cornea and the other areas of the eyes are some of the most sensitive parts of the body. This sensitive area of the body is protected with only a very thin layer of film. This makes human eyes quite susceptible to the negative effects of air pollution.
Depending on the severity of the pollution encountered by individuals on a daily basis, the pollution has the potential to disrupt the health of your eyes on a cellular level and cause long-term damage. Part of this is due to the fact that the eyes are one of the first organs of the body to be exposed to pollution.
Indoor Air Pollution
Most don’t consider the effects of indoor air pollution as heavily as they do the impact of outdoor air pollution. However, this type of pollution has the potential to negatively impact one’s health, including the health of their eyes.
Some of the main sources of indoor air pollution include:
- Second-hand smoke
- Dissipation of industrial compounds in buildings
- Cooking with oil and high heat
- Burning materials used for cooking
- Using pesticides
Many of these compounds also have low odor thresholds. This means that it is quite easy for them to slip by undetected for years. This means that health conditions can slowly creep up on an individual without their knowing.
Protecting Your Eyes
Outdoor and indoor air pollution both contribute to the development of various eye diseases. The most common kinds of disease that develop from pollution exposure include the following:
- Ocular surface irrigation
- Dry eye disease
- Conjunctivitis
However, prolonged exposure has the potential to cause even more serious diseases, such as glaucoma and cataracts. More research is needed to fully understand exactly how to counteract these kinds of issues as they develop in patients.
Discussing Your Situation
If you’re worried that air pollution may be causing you to develop some kind of disease of the eyes, then setting up an appointment with a medical professional can give you the edge in determining the exact cause of your discomfort and how to combat it.
During your consultation, you’ll discuss the exact set of symptoms that you’re experiencing, as well as the kinds of conditions that you’re facing in your day-to-day life. This can help you and your physician make a plan for determining how to rectify these issues, including whether or not they involve a light-adjustable lens.
Sometimes, like when a patient lives in certain types of urban environments, there is no real way to remove the air pollutants that are causing the underlying issues. For situations like these, making a medical plan to adjust to the underlying conditions can be the best path forward in terms of coping.
The Eye Experts of Mission Viejo
Dr. Ghosheh and the rest of the team at Advanced Eye Medical are dedicated to giving you the highest level of service available for your eyes. If you’re interested in discussing how to mitigate the harmful effects of air pollution on your eyes, contact us in order to schedule an appointment.