Description
Prolonged exposure to biomass and tobacco smoke can damage the lens of human eyes. Epidemiological studies conducted in developed and developing countries have established an association between smoke and lens opacity (cataracts). In our earlier epidemiological study conducted in the eye hospital at western Terai region of Nepal, we had found rate of lens damage (cataracts) two times higher among women who cooked with solid fuel (wood, dung cake, crop-residues) in unvented stoves than women who cooked with clean burning fuel-stove (LPG, bio-gas, kerosene and electric heaters). Damaged lens (lens opacity) or cataract is still the most important cause of blindness in Nepal despite the presence of a network of eye hospitals throughout the country. In Nepal compared to men, more women have cataracts but their access to cataract related services is lower. There is no medicine available to cure cataracts. Only cure is through surgery, but this is not equally available and affordable to all. Thus, benefits of cataract prevention are obvious in the country where its prevalence is very high and access to medical services is very low. To investigate how we can prevent and delay lens damage or cataract formation among women, we conducted a lens opacity study among women (n=20) who visited Regional Tuberculosis Center and Manipal Medical College in Pokhara. These participants had no previous diagnosis of cataracts or any lesion in the lens. The major objectives of this study were to investigate pre-clinical measures of lens damage among women with no diagnosis of lens opacity, to investigate their exposure level to cooking smoke and environmental tobacco smoke, and to investigate whether environmental tobacco smoke and cooking smoke correlate with severity of lens opacity/insult.
Investigation of pre-clinical damage of lens from smoke exposure in Nepalese women
Prolonged exposure to biomass and tobacco smoke can damage the lens of human eyes. Epidemiological studies conducted in developed and developing countries have established an association between smoke and lens opacity (cataracts). In our earlier epidemiological study conducted in the eye hospital at western Terai region of Nepal, we had found rate of lens damage (cataracts) two times higher among women who cooked with solid fuel (wood, dung cake, crop-residues) in unvented stoves than women who cooked with clean burning fuel-stove (LPG, bio-gas, kerosene and electric heaters). Damaged lens (lens opacity) or cataract is still the most important cause of blindness in Nepal despite the presence of a network of eye hospitals throughout the country. In Nepal compared to men, more women have cataracts but their access to cataract related services is lower. There is no medicine available to cure cataracts. Only cure is through surgery, but this is not equally available and affordable to all. Thus, benefits of cataract prevention are obvious in the country where its prevalence is very high and access to medical services is very low. To investigate how we can prevent and delay lens damage or cataract formation among women, we conducted a lens opacity study among women (n=20) who visited Regional Tuberculosis Center and Manipal Medical College in Pokhara. These participants had no previous diagnosis of cataracts or any lesion in the lens. The major objectives of this study were to investigate pre-clinical measures of lens damage among women with no diagnosis of lens opacity, to investigate their exposure level to cooking smoke and environmental tobacco smoke, and to investigate whether environmental tobacco smoke and cooking smoke correlate with severity of lens opacity/insult.