Why climate change is a big threat to your eyes
As global temperatures climb and extreme weather events become more frequent, scientists are warning of an emerging but often overlooked public health crisis: the impact of climate change on eye health.
In 2024, Earth recorded its hottest average surface temperature, a stark indicator of accelerating climate change. But rising heat is doing more than melting glaciers or drying up rivers, it's affecting the human body in unexpected ways, including the eyes.
When body temperatures soar to 40 degrees Celsius, they can lead to heatstroke, a dangerous condition that disrupts normal biological functions. One lesser-known consequence: damage to the eye's natural defense systems.
These systems normally protect against harmful molecules that can cause inflammation and tissue injury. But under heat stress, these systems begin to fail. Rising heat is doing more than melting glaciers or drying up rivers, it's affecting the human body in unexpected ways, including the eyes. (Photo: PTI)
This is only one of the many pathways through which climate change is harming ocular health.
A GROWING LIST OF EYE CONDITIONS
Rising temperatures and erratic weather are driving up the incidence of several eye diseases. Conditions such as conjunctivitis, keratitis (corneal inflammation), dry eye disease, and pterygium (a benign growth on the eye surface linked to UV exposure) are becoming increasingly common.
More serious disorders are also on the rise. Cataracts, glaucoma, retinal detachments, periocular tumours, and various infections are now being linked to shifts in climate.
High temperatures have been associated with an increased risk of retinal detachment, which is a medical emergency that can lead to permanent vision loss if not treated promptly. Cataracts, glaucoma, retinal detachments, periocular tumours, and various infections are now being linked to shifts in climate. ()
Meanwhile, drought-driven food insecurity has contributed to nutritional optic neuropathies, resulting in vision impairment and, in some cases, irreversible blindness, according to a 2024 study in The Journal of Climate Change and Health.
ENVIRONMENT STRESSES THE EYES
The eyes are quite susceptible to environmental stressors because they are in constant contact with the outside world. Even subtle changes in temperature, humidity, or air quality can have immediate effects.
A major concern is the depletion of the ozone layer, which filters out harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. Unchecked global warming could worsen ozone loss, leading to higher levels of UV exposure.
Researchers from the University of Auckland, stated in a study that around 20% of cataract cases globally are already attributed to UV radiation. As exposure rises, a surge in conditions such as acute photokeratitis (corneal sunburn), photo conjunctivitis, solar retinopathy, and other radiation-related damage occurs. Even subtle changes in temperature, humidity, or air quality can have immediate effects. (Photo: AFP)
Air pollution, particularly from traffic and urban emissions, further compounds the problem. It has been associated with allergic eye diseases, age-related macular degeneration, and even glaucoma.
Infections are also evolving in response to climate pressures. Trachoma, the world's leading infectious cause of blindness, has been associated with high temperatures and limited water access, both of which are worsening in areas hit hardest by climate extremes.
The 2024 study said that countries need to work together to learn more about how extreme weather, rising temperatures, and lack of food affect our eyesight.
According to a Lancet report, future research must also consider how inequality, often rooted in historical and colonial legacies, influences disease patterns.
Climate change is often seen through the lens of rising seas or vanishing forests. But understanding its effects on our bodies and our eyes can help take precaution and strengthen treatments.
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