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Home is where the heart is, and it’s also what can impact your eyes the most. Your environment plays a huge role in your eyesight and eye health to varying degrees of severity. Knowing how everything in your house and beyond affects your vision can help lead you to the right treatment options.
If you live in an area with low humidity, you may find yourself more susceptible to conditions like dry eye due to the limited moisture in the air. Summer in general can make your eyes more irritated, not to mention the extra UV exposure that can affect your cornea and retina.
Those who live in colder climates are also at risk for certain eye conditions. Windy and chilly weather can irritate your eyes and cause them to become dry and red. Cold temperatures can also constrict the blood vessels in your eyes and lead to blurred vision.
Most people are aware of how allergies can affect their nose and throat, but did you know that your eyes can be impacted too? Itchy, watery eyes are common among those who are allergic to allergens like ragweed, pollen, and mold. The area you live in may be more predisposed to some allergens over another, so it’s important to clean your clothes and rooms after being outside to prevent those same eye-affecting allergens from disrupting your day.
Your environment may or may not be affected by different types of pollution, which by proxy can have an effect on your eye health. Air pollution from sources like vehicle emissions, fireplaces, and power and chemical plants can have varying levels of impact. This can include anything from dry eye and blurry vision to glaucoma and more.
Dr. Robert Saltzmann, a CEENTA ophthalmologist and fellowship-trained glaucoma specialist from our SouthPark and Belmont offices, elaborates. “There is a growing body of evidence that the fine particles present in ambient air pollution play a role in glaucoma, possibly due to constriction of blood vessels or their more general toxic effect on the nervous system.”
Pollution is not just relegated to the air. Water pollution in lakes and rivers can cause pink eye and other eye infections. The excessive use of artificial light, or light pollution, which may or may not include blue light from modern-day device screens, can gradually cause the retina to degrade and make some conditions like age-related macular degeneration appear sooner.
When your environment is working against your eyes, come to an environment that works for you. "If you are concerned about environmental exposures and their impact on your eyes or your vision, schedule your next eye exam with CEENTA. Our board-certified eye specialists like Dr. Saltzmann can evaluate your eyes for a variety of conditions and recommend treatment options best suited for your lifestyle. Schedule your next appointment with CEENTA today at one of our nearly twenty locations in the Carolinas.
This blog is for informational purposes only. For specific medical questions, please consult your doctor. If you need an appointment with an eye doctor in one of our North or South Carolina locations, you can schedule appointment online or through myCEENTAchart.
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CEENTA pediatric ophthalmologist Elliot McKee, MD, appeared on WCNC's Charlotte Today on April 16th, 2024, to discuss strabismus.
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