During the five months in 2017, farm worker Alka Kamble experienced blurry vision in one of her eyes, but did not consult an ophthalmologist. “I can't afford it, and I don't have time because I have to work long to make ends meet,” she said.
Then, Kamble Village, Maharashtra, India state. Doctors there recommend cataract surgery immediately and say excessive exposure to solar radiation may cause her vision to worsen.
Kamble, 55, has worked for decades in the heat without sunglasses or shadows. She added that as the heat wave intensified in India, the situation worsened. “The calories have become so unbearable that it’s even harder for farmers to work in the field for two hours in the summer.”
Many well-known factors, including exposure to UV radiation, genetics and aging, can lead to cataracts, which affects the eye lenses of about 94 million people, making the eye lenses cloudy, resulting in blurred vision. But in recent years, researchers have discovered another cause of cataracts and other eye diseases: climate change.
Climate change is increasing the risk of eye health in many ways. First, it makes the planet hotter – The average surface temperature of the Earth in 2024 is the warmest on record. Body temperature reaches 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) can cause a stroke, which destroys the biological processes of the entire human body. In the eyes, stroke can damage natural defense systems Lucía Echevarría-lucas, an ophthalmologist at the La Axarquía Hospital in the province of Malaga, Spain, explains that the accumulation of harmful molecules called reactive oxygen species is often offset.
Glasses are composed of crystalline proteins that must be kept transparent. Echevarría-Lucas said reactive oxygen species may damage these proteins, “forming opacity that causes cataracts.”
Since the lens cannot regenerate protein, the more time you spend on calories, the greater the risk of cataracts. In a 10-year study in southern Spain, Echevarría-Lucas and colleagues found that there were 370.8 cataract cases per 100,000 residents per year, with the highest average temperature per year. Although the typical age for cataract attacks is over 60 years old, cataracts are more common in areas with high agricultural work in people aged 15 to 49 years old.
Another way to global warming is to cause eye disease, which is to increase our exposure to ultraviolet radiation, says geographers at the University of Málaga. Some of these are driven by behavior – people tend to spend more time outdoors when they are warm. But in some places, such as Costa del Sol in Southern California and Spain, hot air juices from air water vapor usually absorb UV radiation, resulting in more UV exposure. The addition of ultraviolet radiation from Echevarría-lucas can also produce reactive oxygen species, which damages the eye lens and directly damages the DNA of the lens cells.
Cataracts are one of the most common causes of visual impairment worldwide. But climate change has also led to the rise in other eye conditions. These include keratitis – inflammation of the cornea, the clear outermost layer of the eye – pterygium, fleshy pink tissue overgrowth in the white part of the eye (called the sclera) and Yee Ling Wong notes that conjunctivitis, eye infection or irritation is also called Pinkeye an ophthalmologist at the Royal Eye Hospital in Manchester, UK, and co-author of the Journal of Climate Change and Health in 2024.
A study of nearly 60,000 people in the Northwest region in 2023 China found that temperatures above 28.7°C were only 83°F – increasing the risk of conjunctivitis It is approximately 16% compared to a daily temperature of about 51°F at 10.7°C. Pollen season is longer Malik Kahook, an ophthalmologist at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, said the growing mold growth is also associated with climate change, which also leads to the growth of conjunctivitis caused by allergies.
In addition to these direct effects, climate-driven drought can lead to food insecurity, leading to defects in essential nutrients such as copper and vitamins B12, B1 and B9 may damage the optic nerve. During drought, people are often forced to use unsafe water. This also increases the risk of eye infection.
There are ways to protect your eyes from climate-driven damage. First, outdoor workers should be provided with enough shade and frequent rest to calm down, said Jesúsodrigo Comino, a geographer at the University of Granada and co-author of the Spanish study. He also recommends wearing a hat and wearing a sun visor that covers the eyes. And UV sunglasses: Sunglasses provide nearly 38% Rodrigo Comino said that protection is more than not wearing them.
Contact lenses containing hydrogel This allows for more oxygen Rodrigo Comino said reaching the cornea can also help eliminate the damage of UV light. These contact lenses are widely available and are usually prescribed Eye professionals around the world. He added that eating foods rich in vitamins A, C and E as well as tryptophan and avoiding smoking and drinking can also help.
Reducing UV exposure to greenhouse gases and ozonating substances is key to protecting eye health at a global level. But even in optimal climates, climate-driven heat, drought and other eye irritants will continue to affect people like Kampul.
Some plans are trying to address the problem, including India’s National Program on Blindness and Visual Impairment, which provides access to affordable cataract surgery. The program covers the cost of surgery in Kampul. “I never realized that working in the fields would become so serious,” she said.
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