Take care of your eyes amid wildfires and smoke, ophthalmologists urge [Video]

The Canadian Ophthalmological Society is urging people to take care of their eyes as wildfires burn across Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

People on the frontlines of the fires may get airborne particles in their eyes that need to be flushed out with sterile solution, said Dr. David Plemel, an eye surgeon in London, Ont., who was speaking on behalf of the society.

If it’s not easy to get the particle out, he recommends seeing an eye professional so they can remove it without damaging the cornea.

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Smoke travels long distances and can affect people’s eyes even if they are far away from an actual blaze, said Plemel, who is also an assistant professor of ophthalmology at Western University.

“You can be hundreds and thousands of kilometers away and usually it’s not particulate matter at that point — usually that’s …