Since the pandemic is part of our lives, The eyes are becoming major protagonists along with the hands. Both parts of the body must be kept protected and clean to avoid contracting the virus. SARS-CoV-2. It is known that to avoid infection, it is essential to use barrier methods that prevent the pathogen from entering the body. This means that the mouth and nose must be protected, mainly, as well as the eyes.
It seems unbelievable, but knowing how to put on the mask without fogging up your glasses makes many people who wear glasses “not give up” on the possibility of wearing a mask.
Most doctors and healthcare workers are used to wearing them for long hours without any problems, but many people complain that their glasses fog up, which is easy to understand. “A very simple way to avoid this is to place an adhesive tape on the top of the mask, on the cheekbones and nose, so that it fits well and that air does not pass through to the glasses. Another option, which has become popular, is to apply dry soap on both sides of the lenses and then remove it by gently wiping it with a cloth used for glasses. If you opt for this, the suggestion is to consult with the optician about the characteristics of the material of the lenses since in some cases the coatings on the lenses could be damaged,” he explained to Infobae the doctor German Bianchiophthalmologist, head of corneal transplant, refractive surgery and cataracts, at Clínica Nano.
Among other recommendations, it is worth not skipping vision tests for school-aged children. Routine eye check-ups in healthy children should not be postponed. The visual system in childhood is in development and, in addition, with virtual classes they have a high exposure to screens, since they also use them for distraction.
The impact of screen use in childhood and during the pandemic is also being studied, especially during periods of social isolation, since it is estimated that this could increase the number of children who develop or worsen their myopia.
Tips for patients with macular degeneration
“Age-related macular degeneration causes central vision impairment, primarily affecting the ability to use near vision for reading, using a cell phone, or doing crafts. In more advanced stages, it also affects intermediate and distance vision, creating a zone of central non-vision called a scotoma: vision is perceived more to the sides than to the area you really want to look at,” explains Bianchi. This is a degenerative, chronic and progressive disease, for which there are treatments that can stop or slow down vision loss. It is very important to maintain the prescribed check-ups and treatments, even during the pandemic.
However, there are simple tests to find out how the vision of those with this pathology is: a simple but basic way is to stand at a standard distance (for example, one meter) in front of the upper frame of a window or door, cover one eye and look with the other eye at how the lines of the frame look. Are they distorted? Do they move? Or are they visible? Repeat with the other eye. With macular degeneration, there will be an alteration in your perception.
How to distinguish COVID-19 from allergies
The eyes can be one of the entry and contagion doors for COVID-19. In turn, conjunctivitis can be a form of expression of this disease, even in people without other clinical manifestations. Saying “conjunctivitis” is saying something “nonspecific” which expresses inflammation of the conjunctiva, which may occur secondary to very diverse causal agents, not only COVID-19, which, in fact, is known to be rare so far.
“Although isolated conjunctivitis is something that would not attract attention in relation to COVID-19, this changes when frequent sneezing, rhinorrhea (watery, slightly mucous discharge from the nostrils), tearing and itching are added. It is a very characteristic picture of seasonal allergies and should not raise alarm or concern regarding the coronavirus,” says the ophthalmologist.
However, if these symptoms begin to combine with others such as fever, headaches, muscle pain, you should consult a general practitioner.
Home Remedies for Simple Eye Problems
“In reality, there is no “home” remedy, but rather recommendations for the initial management of simple, frequent and common problems, but ultimately it will be an ophthalmologist who decides whether that was sufficient or not,” says Bianchi.
When a stye appears“perform hot compresses two or three times a day, as follows: take a piece of cotton, soak it in warm, non-burning running water (test the temperature with the back of your hand and check for a tolerable temperature); apply it to closed eyelids and gently press for about 10 to 15 seconds on the area where the stye appears. Repeat the operation three times in a row. In many cases, it will help the lipid content of the stye to soften and begin to drain,” explains the doctor.
When you have eye discharge or eye discharge, whether due to a stye, conjunctivitis or undetermined causes“It is highly recommended to keep a small, closed bottle of saline solution in the refrigerator, in a clean, dry place (not in contact with food), as it will be useful for washing the ocular surface and clearing secretions. Place two or three drops of cold physiological solution frequently, every 10 to 15 minutes, until the secretions dissolve or dilute, do not rub the eyes or try to remove these secretions with foreign bodies such as swabs or any other element.”, adds Bianchi.
The physiological solution It can also be used to get you out of trouble in the event of a household accident in which a chemical, dirt or any foreign body has splashed or entered your eyes. And if the ocular surface is scraped by a plant object, such as a branch or leaf, as these may contain contaminating microorganisms, such as fungal spores, it is important to wash your eyes thoroughly.
To do this, take the bottle with physiological solution and apply a stream of liquid. Avoid letting the tip of the bottle touch the eye. And if there is no physiological solution, wash with plenty of mineral water from a recently opened bottle. In the worst case, if the above is not available, wash the ocular surface with plenty of tap water.
Avoiding eye hazards at home
The eyes are a very delicate part of the body and sometimes simple accidents can be very severe, causing lifelong consequences. Although their position in the skull, in a bony structure called the orbit, gives them a protective site, which, together with blinking and the tear layer, reduces the possibility of foreign elements impacting against the ocular surface, sometimes there are situations where these barriers can be overcome and problems can arise. Therefore, prevention is necessary, which can be very simple.
“If you are going to perform any task where you expect there to be dust in the air, smoke, or volatile substances that could enter your eyes, use protective goggles that are hermetically sealed. Sometimes, this can happen when performing tasks with everyday chemical substances such as diluting bleach or alcohol in a bucket or bottle. In gardening activities such as cutting with a brush cutter, eye protection is essential since these are frequent situations of corneal damage from foreign bodies. Using chainsaws or sanding a wall also have a similar risk. Something that not everyone does is welding tasks. Here the risk of eye damage called “photokeratitis” can occur both to the person welding and to the person watching the action. The radiation invisible to the eyes will damage the ocular surface and generate a condition similar to a burn,” Bianchi concludes.
KEEP READING: