China News Service, Shanghai, February 9 (Reporter Chen Jing) Nowadays, for southerners who rarely see heavy snow or have never seen a snow scene with their own eyes, taking advantage of the winter vacation and Spring Festival holidays, have a snow and ice experience. Traveling is a fresh and trendy choice. However, activities in the ice and snow contain many risks for newcomers.
Yang Fan, the attending physician at the Optometry Center of the Shanghai Eye Disease Prevention and Treatment Center (Shanghai Eye Hospital), told reporters in an interview on the 9th that in the field of ophthalmology, "snow blindness" is a "common disease" among tourists in cold winter areas.
Yang Fan introduced that "snow blindness" is also called "electrophotophthalmia". In areas such as glaciers and snowfields, due to the increased reflection of sunlight from the surrounding environment, the content of ultraviolet rays that directly enter the eyes also increases significantly. Excessive ultraviolet rays can cause eye problems. A series of injuries to the corners and conjunctiva of the eyes, causing patients to experience symptoms such as stinging, congestion, edema, burning sensation, photophobia, and tearing of the eyes. In more serious cases, it can cause transient vision loss or even temporary blindness.
After understanding the causes of "snow blindness", how to avoid the occurrence of injuries and nip them in the bud? Yang Fan said that since "snow blindness" is a kind of eye injury that occurs in specific environments and places, it is very important for people who have been in ice and snow environments for a long time, such as tourists who enjoy snow and play in the snow, and people who work in ice and snow environments. People or outdoor skiing and skating athletes need to wear sunglasses or protective goggles to effectively isolate excessive ultraviolet rays in the environment.
For patients who accidentally suffer from "snow blindness" due to insufficient protective measures in the early stage, they must first get out of the high ultraviolet environment they are in. A relatively dark environment will help reduce continued irritation and damage to the eyes; secondly, It needs special emphasis that you should not rub your eyes. One of the typical symptoms of "snow blindness" is eye tingling and foreign body sensation. Many patients try to relieve eye discomfort by rubbing their eyes, but this inappropriate behavior will further damage their eyes. The fragile ocular surface will aggravate the condition; thirdly, for people who wear contact lenses daily, taking off contact lenses in time is also crucial to reduce the harm of the disease. When "snow blindness" occurs for the first time, or when the condition cannot be accurately judged, it is recommended that you seek medical treatment in time. You can use corneal epithelial repair eye drops and other eye drops for treatment under the guidance of a doctor.
Finally, Dr. Yang Fan reminded the public that "snow blindness", as a subtype of electro-optical ophthalmia, specifically refers to eye damage that occurs in ice and snow environments. In fact, electro-optic ophthalmia does not only occur in ice and snow environments, but also occurs in deserts or other places. Similar injuries may occur in environments with high ultraviolet radiation such as the seaside and plateaus, so everyone still needs to stay vigilant, take protective measures, and embrace wonderful holidays and travels. (over)