NEW DELHI New Delhi: People living in areas with increased exposure to PM10 may have double the risk of eye infections, according to a study conducted in the US. Researchers at the University of Colorado's Anschutz Medical Campus showed that ambient air pollution-induced The number of clinic visits by patients suffering from ocular surface eye diseases more than doubles when particulate matter is in the environment. Ocular surface diseases (OSDs) are a group of eye diseases that affect the surface of the eye, including the cornea, conjunctiva, and eyelids. Affects.
The World Health Organization has declared climate change “the single greatest health threat facing humanity,” said Jennifer Patnaik, assistant professor of epidemiology and ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “Yet there are limited studies on the eye health effects of climate change-related air pollution,” Patnaik said. In the study, the team examined the association between daily ambient particulate matter (PM) levels with daily outpatient office visits related to ocular surface irritation and allergies in the Denver metropolitan area. Approximately 144,313 ocular surface irritation and allergy visits were recorded in ophthalmic clinics.
When the PM10 concentration was 110, the number of daily visits was 2.2 times higher than average, the researchers said. The clinic visit rate ratio increased as daily concentrations increased. Notably, conjunctivitis represented one third of all visits. The study, published in the journal Clinical Ophthalmology, is one of the first to look at how climate change could affect eyes. Patnaik said the health risks of air pollution and climate change lead to a wide range of consequences, including infectious diseases, weather-related morbidity and a variety of lung, kidney and heart diseases.
The study could also be important for India, even as the northern regions suffer from severe air pollution.For the fourth consecutive day, the pollution crisis in the national capital is worsening, with its air quality reaching the 'severe' category.Central According to the Pollution Control Board (CPCB), dense fog engulfed the city with the air quality index (AQI) recorded at 406 on Saturday morning. The fog and pollution are also causing other health concerns, including respiratory problems and The risk of cardiovascular complications increases.
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