'Air pollution is one of the silent contributors to degrading eye health'

On the occasion of World Environment Day, Dr. Sandeep Buttan, Technical Lead: Eye Health & Health System Strengthening, Sightsavers India, in interaction with ETHealthworld shares how environmental pollution impacts eye health.

Environmental degradation are increasing health ailments. Do you agree?
A person’s overall health is determined by the environment they live in. A clean surrounding is a major contributor to ensuring good health. However, if a person is exposed to a lot of pollutants, it may harm your body without even knowing, especially your eyes. Global warming is said to be one of the contributors to cataracts too. The pollutants in the environment get into our body and then contaminate the blood flow, for instance, microplastics that have been found in the human bloodstream. These pollutants are slow killers and if we do not act on reversing the damage, it may affect our well-being.

How adversely does pollution affect eye health?
Air pollution is one of the silent contributors to degrading eye health. The microparticles and smoke get in the eye which leads to issues like dry eye syndrome, burning sensation and watering. Prolonged exposure to a polluted environment may lead to glaucoma in some cases. Most of the cases in India are of dry eye syndrome which is caused due to excessive air pollution and if not controlled, this number may jump to a very high percentage.

What urgent environmental measures can protect eye health?
We need to work towards ensuring clean air that is free from life-threatening pollutants. Additionally, we need to ensure that the surroundings of each and every person are clean and hygienic. People need to shift to clean food, food that is free from pesticides and other harmful chemicals. Treat our water bodies with respect and ensure they are clean because contaminated water is another contributor to degrading human health and the health of other life forms too.

How integrating sustainability can prevent the damage?
It is 2022 and we need to make a shift to sustainable living. Sustainable living promotes the use of products that are natural and ethically sourced. This means less damage to the environment. The more we let the environment heal, the better it will be for our well-being. Also, sustainable products use little to no chemicals which are not only good for us, but for the environment and other animals. It is time we act and clarify our bodies and surroundings for a better lifestyle.

How is Sightsavers India working towards eye health?
Sightsavers has been working in India for 55 years now. At present, our main focus is on eight states- Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. Aligning with the vision of the Government of India, we have been designing and carrying forward national programs like the rural eye health program, national truckers eye health program, social inclusion programme, national school eye health program and inclusive education program for decades now, ensuring the prevalence of blindness goes down to 0.3 per cent and below in about 100 districts