Rest turned into disease >>>> Snow blindness
Snow blindness.
Snow blindness (snow ophthalmia, photoophthalmia) - damage to the cornea of the eye by rays of sunlight reflected from snow crystals. The reflected ultraviolet light of the sun's rays hits the cornea and causes it to burn.
This kind of injury can be obtained on a sunny day with significant snow cover during the spring or in the mountains, when the sun is at its zenith and there is a "shine of snow", that is, the intensity of reflection of the sun's rays from snow crystals increases.
Photoophthalmia signs:
- sharp pain in the eyes (the eyes begin to ache),
- blurred vision,
- profuse lacrimation,
- redness of the conjunctiva,
- temporary loss of vision (darkening in the eyes).
Snow blindness may not develop immediately, but after some time (several hours), which often misleads the affected person as to the causes of the visual impairment that has arisen.
Treatment of snow blindness consists in applying a dark patch on the eyes, abstaining from going out into the sunlight for several days, washing the eyes with anti-inflammatory weak solutions of boric acid (2-4%), chamomile, applying cool compresses to the eyes. Vision is restored in a few days. Sometimes a side effect remains - increased photosensitivity, which requires daily wear of tinted glasses.
Prevention of snow blindness consists in wearing dark glasses (green, smoky, black) when walking on a sunny day in a snow-covered landscape.
Photophthalmia can develop in many other cases that are not related to the shine of snow, for example: when an artificial ultraviolet stream from UV lamps, emitters, emitters, laser, welding machines hits the cornea, as well as when glare on the surface of a reservoir (river, lake, sea) on a sunny day.
Photoophthalmia that does not go away on its own requires seeking help from an ophthalmologist and prescribing medications to reduce edema and pain relief.
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