may lead. Cataract, Glaucoma (of Second – very common (cause of blindness) conjunctivitisage related Macular degeneration And even increases the risk of wear Glasses. Studies show that such an effect is very surprising in the most polluted Asian cities, while studies in North America and Europe show that even low levels of air pollution can damage our eyes.
Research has long established that air pollution is bad for our health, especially our lungs (think Asthma() and the cardiovascular systemThink heart attack and stroke). However, research is beginning to emerge on how a polluted atmosphere affects our eyes. “The eye is definitely an overlooked organ,” he said Lina MuEpidemiologist at the University at Buffalo.
According to Paul Foster, an ophthalmologist at University College London, our eyes are particularly vulnerable to polluted air. For one, they are directly exposed to pollution in the air, which can lead to Dry eye disease (In the absence of good quality tears Paint your eyes).
And two, the retina, the light-sensitive layer of the eye at the back of the eye, has many blood vessels and is highly affected by pollution. “Anything that gets into the bloodstream is distributed in large quantities in the back of the eye.” Guardian he said.
It is one of the main visual problems that studies link to polluted air. Glaucoma – Neurological disease in which the optic nerve at the back of the eye occurs It is damaged. Research It shows high exposure to small particles in pollution – large, PM10 and fine, PM2.5 From sources that include cars and trucks, power plants, residential fireplaces, and forest fires – this greatly increases the risk of exposure to this particular disease.
in one big ResearchDoubling the average monthly PM2.5 concentration increased the risk of glaucoma by 66%.
The annual average PM2.5 level in the United States is approx. 10.3 µg/m3 – Low in the world, but twice as much as the World Health Organization Instructions Say OK. (By 2021, 97 percent of U.S. cities will not meet the WHO standard.) Many cities in Asia, in particular, struggle with that much higher standard. In the year In 2021, New Delhi recorded an average annual concentration of PM2.5 85 µg/m3.
However, even a much lower level than that can lead to vision problems, including glaucoma.
French Research Published in September, exposure to PM2.5 below the EU recommendation of 25 μg/m3 can cause accelerated thinning of the neurons that transmit visual signals from the retina to the brain, which is a major indicator of glaucoma.
according to Cecil DelcourtAn epidemiologist at the National Institute of Health and Medical Research in France and lead author of the study, these results show that there is no safe level of air pollution for healthy vision.
Cataracts are also aggravated by dirty air. A great Englishman Research A study by Foster and colleagues found that people living in areas with high levels of PM2.5 pollution were 14 percent more likely to need cataract surgery, a condition that darkens the eye’s natural lens and creates objects. They appear more blurred and stripped of colors. Unfortunately, the areas with the highest pollution levels in that particular study ranked below some US cities such as Chicago and Los Angeles.
Under China’s often polluted skies, researchers calculate that fine particle pollution is almost entirely to blame. A quarter of all age-related cataracts in the country.
It is also China Fighting the myopia epidemicIt’s also known as nearsightedness, and dirty air may be partly to blame, experts said. While as many 91 percent Chinese high school students are close behind, this number is 13 percent, the least polluting. Norway. Other lifestyle factors, including screen use and time outdoors, may also be at play here. Genetic differences.
Study in Taiwan PM2.5 and nitrogen oxides (of which NO2 is the same) in the air have been found to increase the risk of myopia, especially for children who live in areas with high levels of nitrogen oxides. More than double Compared to children who live in very clean areas.
On the positive side, the local pollution-sap green plants It is associated with a lower risk of myopia among children. The results are partly explained by the fact that parks keep children away from screens, which are an important risk factor for myopia.
Although research on air pollution and people’s perspective has been obtained by looking at the health trends in a group – it is unethical to expose people to pollution and see what happens – these results from studies on laboratory animals are not just coincidence. For example, when there were scientists hamsters Breathe a large amount of PM2.5 twice a day, the animals developed myopia after three weeks.
Once these tiny particles of pollutants enter the lungs, they “enter the bloodstream relatively quickly,” Foster said, “and that’s where these tiny particles start to have the most impact on animals, most notably causing inflammation.”
In the year In 2023, laboratory experiments on human retinal cells showed that when such cells are exposed to toxic substances, inflammation rises – and this has been linked to visual impairment. Glaucoma.
Animal studies They also show that exposure to polluted air can damage the DNA in the retina and cause nerve cells in the back of the eye to die prematurely.
One way to prevent the damage that polluted air can do to your eyes is to wear sunglasses, use moisturizing eye drops, wash your hands often, and avoid rubbing your eyes on days when air pollution levels are high, so as not to aggravate any irritation. Amy Millen, an epidemiologist at the University of Buffalo, also recommends eating a diet rich in antioxidants (think lots of fruits and vegetables).
The good news is compared to Mu smoking Or too much Screen time, air pollution has little effect on the eyes. The bad news? “You can protect yourself from screen time; you can change your lifestyle; [but] There is air pollution, and you can’t get rid of it,” she said.
That is why many experts argue that the best way to protect vision from dirty air is to stop burning fossil fuels. “If we clean up the environment, there’s a benefit to the individual and to future generations,” Foster said.
Until then, foggy glasses might not be such a bad idea.