Dust storms are often unpredictable, and they can quickly stir up dust, debris, and potential health risks, particularly for your eyes. Dust storms can have a range of effects on your eye health, from minor irritation to infections that could potentially endanger your eyesight.

Dr. Digvijay Singh, director of Noble Eye Care Gurugram, discussed the negative effects of dust storms on eye health, which can result in serious issues that should not be ignored. However, proper precautions may help reduce the harm.

"Dust storms are a common occurrence in the current environment," he said. There is a significant risk to health from these storms, including the lungs and eyes. Anyone caught in a dust storm is likely to experience eye problems ranging from minor irritation to potentially blinding eye infections, with the eyes being the most vulnerable. In addition, those who wear contact lenses are at a particularly increased risk since the likelihood of infection is greater. They should exercise prudence.

Dr. Digvijay Singh provided a comprehensive manual that outlines five ways that dust may harm your eyesight, as well as safety advice for contact lens users, who are the most vulnerable:

5 eye problems from a dust storm

1. Dry eyes:

• Exposure to strong breeze and dust can trigger dry eye disease, particularly in people who are regular contact lens wearers or have had mild dry eyes in the past.
• People will present with sudden eye watering, foreign body sensation, irritation and redness. The irritation may be severe enough to make keeping the eyes open difficult.

2. Eye allergy:

• Dust storms rake up fine and coarse dust, including organic vegetable matter and construction dust.
• These all can trigger allergies presenting as itching, redness of the eyes and stringy mucus production in the eyes.

3. Conjunctivitis:

• Dust is particularly notorious for case eye infections like conjunctivitis.
• It is red eyes with discharge and irritation, and swelling of the eyelids. This would require medical management to resolve and is often a communicable condition caused by bacterial infection.

4. Keratitis:

• Corneal infection or keratitis is a serious infection of the eye with the potential of causing blindness if left untreated. This is especially seen in contact lens users who are caught in a dust storm and get dust particles in the eyes.
• Keratitis includes red, painful eyes with discharge and blurred vision, often in the presence of light sensitivity. 
• Urgent treatment is required to prevent permanent vision loss.

5. Eye trauma:

• Eye injuries can occur due to flying debris during a dust storm. These may vary from mild abrasions of the cornea to severe perforating injuries of the globe.
• The presentation may include redness of eyes and severe pain to vision loss. Albeit rare, they require urgent intervention from a specialist.

Precautions for contact lens wearers

1. Carry a contact lens case and some solution in order to remove your contact lenses safely if your eyes get exposed to dust.

2. Carry prescription glasses so that you may use them in place of contact lenses if the weather is not supportive.

3. Carry a pair of shades to cover your eyes while wearing contact lenses if you don’t want to remove the contact lenses or are unable to remove them

4. Carry some contact lens safe lubricant eye drops and use them to wash any dust that may have entered your eye while wearing contact lens in a dust storm.

Dr Singh further advised seeing an ophthalmologist if eye irritation persists after removing a contact lens or if any discharge develops. Sharing treatment advice, he recommended the early use of antibiotic eye drops to help prevent serious infections. In case of a disease, the contact lens should be discarded.

He concluded by sharing some tips for those who don’t wear contact lenses and said, “If you are not a contact lens wearer and are caught in a dust storm, try to take cover, wear some protective glasses or shades and immediately wash your eyes with clean water if any dust enters the eyes.”

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