Korea has the highest concentration of fine dust among OECD members. Now, wearing a mask has reduced the respiratory risk of fine dust, but the eyes are still exposed to fine dust defenselessly. Stimulating substances such as fine dust activate the inflammatory substance cytokine, causing eye inflammation and drying the eyes.
(Picture from Unsplash)
Below our eyelids are the Mybom glands that secrete oil to prevent tears from drying up. However, when the mybom gland is blocked due to fine dust, abnormal oil is secreted or no oil is secreted at all, resulting in dry eye syndrome. In particular, those with less tears than ordinary people and those with dry eyes have less ability to dilute dust. When dust enters these people's eyes, allergic reactions to the eyelids and conjunctiva are likely to occur, resulting in allergic conjunctivitis and corneitis.
Fine dust that needs to be more careful when recovering after LASIK or LASEK
The cornea immediately after vision correction surgery is drier and easier to be stimulated, so it needs to be thoroughly managed. For this reason, if fine dust is severe, it can be more easily stimulated.
In fact, fine dust itself does not cause infection in the recovery process after vision correction. However, like other pollutants, fine dust irritates the eyes, which can cause cornea inflammation during recovery.
If a person who has undergone vision correction within the last month is exposed to fine dust without the surgical site healing, infection or inflammation can easily occur, so be careful. Patients with severe dry eye syndrome or sensitive eyes may feel that their vision recovery after surgery is slow.
If you feel dry after undergoing surgery such as LASIK or LASEK, it is recommended to refrain from going out as much as possible on days when fine dust is severe. If you have to go out inevitably, wear protective glasses or sunglasses. This is because wearing glasses or sunglasses can significantly reduce the impact of the eyes from the outside compared to not wearing anything.
Also, even if your eyes are itchy due to fine dust, you should never rub your eyes. Stimulating with the hand can cause wounds to the weakened cornea after surgery, and secondary infections can occur due to bacteria in the hand. If you feel congestion or itching in your eyes due to severe fine dust, you can alleviate symptoms by adding non-prescription artificial tears prescribed by the ophthalmologist.
Care around the eyelashes is also important. The eyelashes primarily prevent foreign substances from entering the eyes. Therefore, on days when fine dust is severe, fine dust accumulates a lot on the eyelashes. If the accumulated fine dust is not properly removed, the mybom spring glands in the eyes can be blocked, leading to dry eye syndrome. Therefore, on a day when there is a lot of fine dust, when you come home and wash your face, you should pay attention to the area near your eyelashes.
Even if you usually wear contact lenses because you don't have eye correction, it's better not to wear lenses if you have to go out on a day when fine dust is severe. It is recommended to wear glasses or sunglasses because fine dust can be adsorbed on the contact lenses and cause irritation to the eyes.
If you have to wear lenses inevitably, it is recommended to wear disposable lenses and throw them away after use. If it is difficult to use disposable lenses, you should avoid wearing them for longer than 8 hours. After going out, you should remove the lens immediately and pay more attention to disinfection and cleaning of the lens. Also, when washing your face, please pay attention to the area around your eyelashes.
Writer: Soyun Lee