Photokeratitis

Photokeratitis or ultraviolet keratitis is a painful eye condition caused by exposure of insufficiently protected eyes to the ultraviolet (UV) rays from either natural (e.g. intense sunlight) or artificial (e.g. the electric arc during welding) sources. Photokeratitis is akin to a sunburn of the cornea and conjunctiva. This is a transient inflammatory condition that usually appears up to 6 h after exposure to UVR and resolves within 48 h, typically without long-term consequences and is not usually noticed until several hours after exposure. Photokeratitis is known by a number of different terms including: snow blindness, arc eye, welder's flash, bake eyes, corneal flash burns, sand man's eye, flash burns, etc. Photokeratitis causes corneal cell apoptosis through direct damage to the cell membrane, DNA damage, and reactive oxygen species induction, in addition to being a result of an inflammatory reaction.

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Although only approximately 5% of solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) (electromagnetic radiation ranging from 200 nm to 400 nm) reaches the earth’s surface, it plays a significant biological role. This UVR consists of short-wavelength, high-energy photons that have sufficient energy to cause photochemical alterations in tissues that may result in injurious biological effects

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Symptoms
Any intense exposure to UV light can lead to photokeratitis. Photokeratitis represents the acute corneal response. Common causes include welders who have failed to use adequate eye protection such as an appropriate welding helmet or welding goggles. May also be caused by exposure to sunlight reflected from ice and snow, particularly at elevations. Photokeratitis is characterised by pain, foreign body sensation, photophobia, lacrimation and blepharospasm. These acute symptoms may occur in varying degrees and usually last six hours to 24 hours, but almost all of the discomfort disappears within 48 hours. The effects of photokeratitis can cause the individual to be visually incapacitated for varying periods of time. The ocular discomfort and visual interference associated with the development of photokeratitis have potential safety implications for the individual and others within the outdoor environment. They can also adversely affect sporting and other recreational performance in conditions of natural solar UVR exposure.

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Prevention/Management
Attenuation of the UVR incident at the anterior ocular surface is the main technique used to prevent absorption of UVR by ocular tissues, thus reducing the risk of development of some sunlight-related eye diseases. The two most common forms of ophthalmic attenuators of UVR radiation are sunglasses and contact lenses. These may be administerd by you Optometrist or Ophthalmologist. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) eyedrops are widely used to lessen inflammation and eye pain. The pain may be temporarily alleviated with anaesthetic eye drops for the examination; however, they are not used for continued treatment. Cool, wet compresses over the eyes and artificial tears may help local symptoms when the feeling returns. Further injury should be avoided by isolation in a dark room, removing contact lenses, not rubbing the eyes, and wearing sunglasses until the symptoms improve.

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What is @bettervision about?

@bettervision is is a project initiated by @nattybongo and friends to give back to the society the knowledge and skill acquired through the Optometric Studies in Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana.It is an outreach system where we visit the less privileged communities to offer free eye screening services and education to the people within the community

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
To reduce or prevent vision loss through diseases such as glaucoma, cataract and refractive errors.

To enlighten the majority of the Ghanaian population about the importance of proper visual care.

To conscientize people on the need for regular eye checks

To get more people to have their wards screened within the Critical periods of a Child’s Vision Development; thus from ages 3 to till about 10 years.

To help the blind and people with low vision live a better life within the society through education of the general public to stop stigmatization.

To help in the fight of extreme poverty that puts the health of people at risk

Our greatest gratitude goes to @fundition @adollaraday @surfyogi @girlsfoundation @bleepcoin @ackza @indigoocean @nanzo-scoop @steemstem @demotruk @pennsif @steem-ambassador @kasho and @wafrica for helping to make the aims and objectives of @bettervision a reality.