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Eye and Pollution

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Book cover Clinical Handbook of Air Pollution-Related Diseases

Abstract

Pollution has become ubiquitous and occupational and environmental air pollution often overlaps. In addition, ultraviolet radiation can have long- and short-term detrimental effects on the eyes and vision. There is a wide spectrum of ocular symptoms and disorders occurring due to pollution: they may range from common symptoms of irritation and burning to severe allergy, cataract, and even cancer such as retinoblastoma. The most common features are redness, burning, tearing, mucous discharge, itching, dryness, grittiness, difficulty in vision, eyelid swelling, inability to keep open eyes, and risk of infection. The majority of the studies investigating the direct effect of air pollution on the eye are focused on the alterations occurring in the ocular surface system where the most common disease is the environmental dry eye disease. It is a singular clinical entity inside dry eye disease context, directly caused by pollutants and/or adverse climatic conditions. Few helpful tips to prevent and treat this ocular condition are explained.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ophthalmology Unit Head Prof. EC Campos, S. Orsola-Malpighi Teaching Hospital, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    Costantino Schiavi & Giuseppe Giannaccare

Authors
  1. Costantino Schiavi
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  2. Giuseppe Giannaccare
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Correspondence to Giuseppe Giannaccare .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Alder Hey Children’s Hospital , Liverpool, United Kingdom

    Fabio Capello

  2. Scientific Director of Health Lab of GTechnology Foundation, Modena, Italy

    Antonio Vittorino Gaddi

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Schiavi, C., Giannaccare, G. (2018). Eye and Pollution. In: Capello, F., Gaddi, A. (eds) Clinical Handbook of Air Pollution-Related Diseases. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62731-1_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62731-1_19

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-62730-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-62731-1

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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