Cooking with coal increases risk of eye diseases –Study

A study has found that long-term use of coal or wood for cooking increases the risk of contracting major eye diseases which could also lead to blindness and death. 

The study was conducted by researchers from the Nuffield Department of Population Health at the University of Oxford, the Chinese Academy of Medical Science, and Peking University, Beijing.

The researchers as reported in PLOS Medicine said they found a clear link between cooking with wood and coal and an increase in the risk of developing major eye diseases that can lead to blindness.

According to the study, which was also published on the website of the University of Oxford, to understand the effect of using coal and wood on the eyes of the participants, the researchers analysed data from half a million Chinese between the ages of 30 to 79.

They were asked about their cooking habits by questionnaire, then tracked for hospital admissions of major eye diseases through linkage to health insurance records.

At the end of the 10 years follow up period, it was found that “There were 4,877 cases of conjunctiva disorders, 13,408 cataracts, 1,583 disorders of the sclera, cornea, iris and ciliary body (DSCIC), and 1,534 cases of glaucoma among study participants,” the site reported.

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The researchers also added that “Long-term use of solid fuels for cooking was associated with 32%, 17%, and 35% higher risks of conjunctiva, cataracts, and DSCIC, respectively, compared with those who cooked using clean fuels.”

The researchers said, “long-term solid fuel use for cooking was associated with higher risks of not only conjunctiva disorders but also cataracts and other more severe eye diseases.

Switching to clean fuels appeared to mitigate the risks, underscoring the global health importance of promoting universal access to clean fuels.”

Speaking on the research, a research fellow in the Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, and lead author of the study, Dr. Peter Ka Hung Chan said, “The increased risks may be caused by exposure to high levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and carbon monoxide, which can damage the eye surface and cause inflammation.’