Ocular Citrosis is a common infection of the eye

Human eye

The human eye is an organ which reacts to light for several purposes. As a conscious sense organ, the eye allows vision. Rod and cone cells in the retina allow conscious light perception and vision including color differentiation and the perception of depth...

 generally resulting from periodic exposure to acidic substances, such as citrus fruit. It was first documented by Scottish physician Douglas Maclagan

Douglas Maclagan

Sir Andrew Douglas Maclagan PRSE FRCPE FRCSE FCS FRSSA was a Scottish surgeon, toxicologist and scholar of medical jurisprudence....

 in 1860.

Causes

Ocular Citrosis is most common among industrial workers who habitually experience alterations of pH

PH

In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...

 in their work day. A test conducted in 1991 at the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute demonstrated that ocular citrosis can be caused by the extended exposure of the eye to supposedly harmless acids, including citrus fruits. This discovery led to a brief public panic, which Alfred T. Murrough, head of the project, dismissed as "pure hypochondria:"
.
Despite this, in the decade after the Sanford-Burnham studies, incidences of Ocular citrosis dropped by 50%, due to public awareness of the issue.

Symptoms

As the condition develops, clear vision is compromised. A loss of visual acuity is noted. Contrast sensitivity is also lost, so that contours, shadows and color vision are less vivid. Veiling glare can be a problem as light is scattered by the cataract into the eye. A contrast sensitivity test should be performed and if a loss in contrast sensitivity is demonstrated an eye specialist consultation is recommended. If left untreated, chronic fatigue subsequently occurs. Many people are unaware that they have been infected until the disease has reached its later stages, at which point it is generally not treatable.

Treatment

If identified early, Ocular citrosis is easily cured through medication. However, because of the subtle nature of the infection, it is often left untreated, leading to permanent loss of vision similar to that of cataracts sufferers. In general, it is advisable to avoid incidences that involve excessive exposure to acidic substances.

Homer

A growing group of historians believe that the Greek poet Homer

Homer

In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...

may have contracted a harsh form of Ocular Citrosis as a child, from the exiguous descriptions of his blindness. This is still under considerable debate.