Zeitschrift für Geowissenschaften und Klimawandel

Abstrakt

Impact of Climate and Seasons Changes on Ophthalmic Diseases

Ms. Swarnalakshmi MR, Ms. Mohana Sundari SB

Weather describes the temperature and other outdoor circumstances (such as rain, cloudiness, and so on) at a specific time and location. Climate relates to the typical weather conditions in a specific location or region. Climate change has an adverse effect on human systemic and ocular health. Nowadays, it's simple to understand how climate change affects the environment. As a result of the environmental shift, this change will also have an impact on human's systemic and ocular health.The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), The 2014 Report on Human Health identified three basic prospects for how climate change will affect human health: (i) changes in the frequency of extreme events, such as heatwaves, droughts, and heavy rain; (ii) effects on natural systems, such as changes in disease vectors, waterborne diseases, and air pollution; and (iii) strongly conditioned effects by poorly managed human systems, such as labour impacts, malnutrition, and mental stress. Extreme weather has an impact on human systemic health, causing increased respiratory and cardiovascular disease, injuries and premature deaths, shifts in the prevalence and geographical distribution of food and water-borne illnesses and other infectious diseases, and threats to mental health.

Eye sight is the window through which we perceive the world, yet environmental changes are affecting human's ocular state and leading to eye diseases such as corneal, scleral and conjunctival diseases like conjunctivitis(Madras eye), Keratitis, Trachoma (leading cause of blindness due to bacterial infections) and so on due to water illness . Weather patterns can become unpredictable due to climate change, especially when temperatures rise, which can cause dry eyes, glaucoma, ARMD, cataracts and etc. Environmental factors, particularly sunlight and UVR, cause Uveitis, eye tumour, retinal detachment, retinal tears, Age Macular Degeneration (AMD), Posterior Vitreous Detachment, and Central Serous Choroidopathy. Adaptation to climate change is not a solution but we have prevention to prevent our systemic and ocular health from the climate changes. We should be kept in mind about seasonal characteristics about ocular and systemic states before diagnosing, treating as well as the investigating the conditions. In this study 57% peoples are affected with nuclear sclerosis and 42% peoples are affected with cortical cataract. 52.6% peoples are affected with grade 2 pterygium followed by 26.2% of grade 1 and 21% of grade 3. Pterygium prevalence was high in summer seasons (April-August) compared with other seasons. Dry eyes shows it’s greatly affected by seasonal weather changes. 62.6% are affected with fungal keratitis; the incidence was high comparing with bacterial keratitis 38.9%.A higher incidence of Allergic Conjuctivitis occurs during the months of summer seasons (April-June). Patients should be advised to wear peaked cap and protective glasses to prevent eyes from both dryness and UV radiations