Assessment of the pathogenesis of visual impairment naval specialists of the arctic zone of the russian federation during the polar night

Introduction. The climatogeographic conditions of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation are determined by the proximity to the North Pole of the Earth and are characterized by a number of certain cyclical changes that do not take place in the middle latitudes — the polar day and the polar night. The high-latitude location determines the long period of the polar night, lasting from 98 to 133 days. Being the hallmark of the Arctic, the polar night is an integral part of service in the Arctic region, it has an impact on every geographically involved person, without exception.

Purpose of work. To assess the mechanisms of the pathogenesis of visual impairment that develop during the polar night in naval specialists.

Materials and research methods. The study involved 92 people. The surveyed contingent is male contract servicemen of the Navy, aged from 21 to 45 years. The analysis of the morbidity structure according to the ophthalmological profile was carried out during the polar night from November 20, 2020 to January 20, 2021 using an epidemiological method of a case-control study. The assessment of unfavorable climatic and geographical factors of the Arctic region during the polar night was carried out by the method of analytical observation and data recording from November 20, 2020 to January 20, 2021 using the example of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, Belushya Guba village. On the basis of an integral analysis of epidemiological indicators, climatogeographic and clinical and morphological observations, a pathophysiological assessment of diseases of the organ of vision, developing during the polar night in naval specialists, was carried out.

Research results show a high level of ophthalmological morbidity during the polar night among naval specialists serving on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago.

Conclusions. Climatogeographic factors of the Arctic region have a polyetiological effect on the formation of mechanisms of pathogenesis of disorders of visual functions that develop in naval specialists during the polar night.