Prolonged heat, eye diseases increase

Due to the specific nature of office work, often working with computers and sitting in an air-conditioned environment, every hot season, Ms. Do Thi Ly (Van Mieu ward - Quoc Tu Giam, Hanoi) encounters dry and tired eyes.

According to Ms. Ly, this situation has a significant impact on her work, causing her to regularly use artificial tears.

Besides, when moving outdoors in the scorching sun, especially during peak hot hours, she often feels dazzling, so she has to use sunglasses to protect her eyes.

Also experiencing dry eyes and symptoms becoming more obvious in the summer, Ms. Tran Thi Bich Hong (Kim Anh commune, Hanoi) said that she often feels eye strain and burning. Although working in a cool environment and rarely directly exposed to hot sun, Ms. Hong said that on hot weather days or when having to read books, write and concentrate for a long time, she often experiences dry eyes and drooping eyes.

After going to the specialized eye hospital for examination, she was diagnosed by doctors with dry eyes.

After examination, the doctor prescribed artificial tears, eye care medicine and some eye tonics. Using as prescribed, my symptoms clearly improved, my eyes are no longer as uncomfortable as before" - Ms. Hong shared.

According to Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh - Head of the Outpatient Department, Hanoi Eye Hospital, every year in the summer, the number of patients coming for eye exams usually increases.

Previously, the most common diseases were conjunctivitis, keratitis, and blepharitis due to infection. However, along with the development of digital technology, the number of people coming for examination for dry eyes is also increasing significantly.

Doctors say that hot weather increases the evaporation of tears. Regularly being in an air-conditioned environment or using fans continuously also makes eyes more prone to dryness. In addition, prolonged use of computers and phones reduces the frequency of blinking, and at the same time, the eyes have to be exposed to a lot of blue light, thereby increasing the risk of dry eyes.

For this condition, doctors often prescribe artificial tears and guide patients on how to take care of their eyes appropriately in hot weather conditions or when working in an air-conditioned environment.

In addition to the risk of dry eyes, UV rays in sunlight can also affect vision health. Therefore, people should limit going out during hot sunny times of the day, especially from noon to before 4 pm. When going out, they need to use quality eye protection glasses.

Dr. Thanh also recommends that people drink enough water, supplement vitamin A and lutein through red and yellow foods; maintain appropriate humidity in air-conditioned rooms to limit dry eyes.

For people who regularly work with computers, the 20-20-20 principle should be applied. After 20 minutes of looking at the screen, you should spend 20 seconds looking away about 20 feet (equivalent to about 6 meters). At the same time, the screen should be placed about 20 degrees lower than the eye level to reduce eye strain and limit symptoms related to prolonged screen use" - Dr. Thanh shared.

Besides dry eyes, doctors warn that summer is also a time of increase in eye infections, especially pinkeye (acute conjunctivitis). Patients often have symptoms such as red eyes, burning, bleeding, swollen eyes and profuse tears. This is a disease that can spread in families and communities, so it needs to be detected and treated promptly to limit the risk of infection.

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