Haze may trigger conjunctivitis

Poor air quality not only aggravates respiratory problems, but also requires attention to pollutants that "drain" the eyes and induce dry eyes and conjunctivitis. A woman stayed outdoors for only ten minutes on a "hazy day" earlier, and her eyes were already watering and stinging. She went to the doctor and was diagnosed with conjunctivitis, and her conjunctiva was even scratched. Ophthalmologists say that air pollutants not only dry up tears and disrupt the oil-water balance of the eyes, but also cause a foreign body sensation that makes people unconsciously rub their eyes hard, which only makes the damage worse. Ophthalmologist Dr. Tam Tak-yu said that during seasons with severe air pollution, the number of cases seeking medical treatment for eye diseases will be 20% higher than in other seasons. Carbon compounds, suspended particulates, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides and lead in air pollutants will directly contact the surface of the eyes, causing the cornea or conjunctiva to become dry and feel like there is a foreign body, leading to conjunctivitis or keratitis. Once you keep rubbing your eyes, the foreign body will repeatedly rub against the cornea or conjunctiva, forming cracks and scars.Affect vision. There were several days of severe air pollution at the beginning of this month. A 60-year-old woman who went out for ten minutes had severe eye discomfort and needed to seek medical attention. This shows that air pollution can quickly damage the eyes. Tam reminded that when air pollution is serious, you should reduce the time you spend outdoors to avoid eye damage. If you are not sure that the cornea or conjunctiva is damaged, the doctor will use an ophthalmic slit lamp with a developer to examine the damaged area, and then use eye drops to treat it. The patient can also wear a medicated contact lens to repair the damaged cornea or conjunctiva, but it needs to be worn continuously for one week without taking it off. Tam pointed out that in addition to being induced by air pollution, keratitis or conjunctivitis can also be caused by women who do not remove makeup thoroughly or often wear contact lenses, especially colored contact lenses commonly known as "big eyes". Dyes or impurities can damage the eyes and make the eyes more susceptible to inflammation. As for the worsening air pollutiondry eye syndromeThe mechanism of dry eye is that pollutants affect the oil-water balance in the eyes, accelerating tear loss. Prolonged contact lens wear or intense screen time can be triggering factors. Doctors typically prescribe medicated eye drops to relieve symptoms. For the most common cause of dry eye, meibomian gland dysfunction, VTP (Ventilated Thermal Pulse Therapy) can improve oil gland blockage and increase oil and water secretion. Doctors typically use a tear secretion test to determine the severity of dry eyes. A normal tear secretion will wet a test strip up to ten millimeters; less than five millimeters is considered dry eye. Tam advises against purchasing eye drops from the market, as some contain steroids, preservatives, or antibiotics. Long-term use of steroids can cause glaucoma. He recommends minimizing time outdoors during periods of air pollution to prevent eye damage.