Happy New Year! For the first Newsletter of the year, we're talking a bit about air quality and it's impact on our eye health.
In Australia, most of the time we have comparatively good air quality, however, after the traditional new years fireworks show, pollutants linger in the air which can damage not only our eyes but the health of our entire body.
In the case of our eyes, the pollutants in the air sometimes dissolves in the eye film, changing it's chemical composition and with it, the acidity. This can causes watering, itching, visual difficulties, and grittiness, among other discomforts. Some effects cannot even be felt but have long-lasting significance, such as an increased risk of infection, cancers, or cataracts.
Treatment of these discomforts are usually a matter of reducing eye exposure to polluted air and not exacerbating symptoms through rubbing, touching, eye make-up, or contact lenses. Washing the eyes with water and utilising eye drops can also help speed up relief or prevent onset of symptoms.
If you'd like to find out more, please have a look at our newsletter below;
https://mailchi.mp/8b3ea982d7ff/air-quality-and-eye-health-3594598