Smoke from wildfires leads to bad air quality and the resultant respiratory problems, but our eyes can feel the effects just as much, says a University of Waterloo professor.
In the week of recent wildfires to the north and west that caused smoke to cover much of southwestern Ontario, Dr. Andre Stanberry of the School of Optometry said there is a risk to the eyes of people living in this area, even so far from the source.
Stanberry told The Observer that the eye is very susceptible to becoming irritated by smoke due to its high sensitivity.
“The surface of the eye has the highest concentration of nerve endings in the body, making it extremely sensitive to even minor environmental changes,” he explained.
That high concentration of nerve endings can cause the eye to be able to detect particles that other parts of the body would not recognize.
“It causes a pretty robust immune response that leads to swelling or an allergic response potential as well to the ocular surface, and we tend to be very, very sensitive to that,” added Stanberry.
Some people might question how our eyes can be affected by wildfire smoke from as far away as Winnipeg, but the smoke can travel long distances, even when it’s not visible, and the air may still contain particulates, noted Stanberry.
He added that these airborne irritants can still affect your eyes, depending on the level of particles combined with your sensitivity, no matter how close to the fire you are.
The irritants in the air can also cause people with pre-existing conditions like chronic dry eyes to worsen and last longer. So, people who don’t have these conditions may notice mild discomfort, whereas those with pre-existing conditions may experience effects that affect their daily life, said Stanberry.
“Some people with systemic conditions like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis and so on tend to have a lot of significant issues with the ocular surface, to begin with.”
“So, this (wildfire smoke) can be a trigger that can spiral into ongoing dryness and irritation that may have a significant impact on their day-to-day and their activities that they live in, for instance. And you know, for those individuals in particular, that can have a major impact on how they function.”
There are steps we can take to help minimize the impacts, said Standberry.
The first and best option is avoidance: staying indoors when smoke levels are particularly elevated, he suggested, noting that this strategy isn’t always possible.
“For those who are exposed, flushing the irritants out would be important,” he said, pointing to artificial teardrops as an option – “things like Systane Ultra, for example, which is broadly available at any pharmacy or any other bland lubricant eye drops, to do the trick in those moments.”
Exposure might also trigger an allergic response, so sometimes an antiallergy eye drop can also help if that situation occurs.
Wearing a barrier like wrap-around sunglasses, especially ones designed for people with dry eyes, can also provide some level of protection, said Stanberry.
“For most people, it’s probably not going to be a big deal. Even if they get irritated, they’ll have artificial teardrops or a cool compress on the eyes, and they may do just fine.”
“But if somebody’s in a higher risk category where they already do have dry eyes, and they already do have significant ocular allergies, then these individuals should take more precautions in perhaps avoiding those periods where there are higher concentrations of the irritants in the atmosphere.”
