Bill Harvey: Sunfighter

As I sweltered in the newly tropical UK climate, I couldn’t help thinking about the impact of high temperatures upon eye health. I had more time to do this than usual, as a number of patients clearly felt it was just too hot to go for their eye check and failed to turn up.

When the weather is hotter than normally expected, the impact on the eyes can be varied and wide-ranging. Those struggling with the heat in general may find, as part of their general lethargy, a tendency to binocular decompensation. Ocular surface disorders, and in particular forms of allergic conjunctivitis, may be exacerbated while the reliance on fans to cool down may exacerbate existing dry eye problems.