WHO has suffered from it at least once, knows the annoyance that is felt. Dry eye is a common ailment caused by dehydration of the conjunctiva and cornea. Symptoms range from itching to burning, discomfort in the light to the sensation of having a foreign body in the eye or sand. Problems that increase after prolonged visual efforts, in rooms with air conditioning or heating too high, with the wind and, in the last year and a half, even with the mask.
Dry and short-sighted eyes, Covid’s fault
by Paolo Nucci
It has been proven that the masks have accentuated the symptoms of dry eye and led to suffer from it even people who had never experienced it before the pandemic. The new phenomenon, called Made – or mask-associated dry eye – was first diagnosed last year, particularly on those who wear protection for many hours a day, including healthcare workers. , and people with pre-existing eye conditions, wear glasses or contact lenses. And it was also compounded by the increased time spent in front of a screen.
An ozone gel to protect the eyes from Covid
Made’s first observations were reported in June 2020 by American ophthalmologist Darrell White, who first described the condition and coined the acronym. An all-Italian study conducted by the professor Laura Boccardo of the University of Florence, found that one in six people first experienced dry eye while wearing a mask, while one in four reported a worsening of the existing condition. A Portuguese survey, published in July, found that wearing masks increased dry eye symptoms especially in regular contact lens wearers. The School of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of New South Wales in Sydney has estimated that prolonged use of the mask for at least six consecutive hours can cause increased symptoms, including dryness, redness, tearing and burning.
An ozone gel to protect the eyes from Covid
The Canadian Center for Eye Research and Education has instead created an infographic to help people reduce symptoms and raise awareness of optometrists, ophthalmologists and primary care physicians on the increase in cases indirectly linked to Covid. To help all these people who have found themselves overnight with this nuisance, give helpful tips and various treatment options, the optometrist Leigh Plowman has created the virtual guide Dry Eye Directory, available for free online ( https://dryeyedirectory.com/dry-eye-treatment/ ), which includes a quiz to understand the level of your problem and whether it is advisable to consult a doctor. “Dry eye is a multifactorial disease of the ocular surface characterized by a loss of tear film homeostasis. Tears play an essential role in protecting and maintaining eye health and whenever you blink, a protective film of natural proteins spreads across the entire ocular surface to help fight infection-causing germs, “he explains. .
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The first advice is to use a mask with a flexible nasal thread, well adaptable to the face, which, in addition to protecting more from Covid, “prevents excess air from flowing upwards, from under the mask towards the eyes, thus increasing dryness and tear evaporation “. According to Dr Plowman, “dry eye disease is increasingly common and without proper treatment it could affect daily activities such as reading, watching television, using computers and mobile phones, doing work and driving. Face masks are key in helping to stop the spread of coronavirus, so we are in no way arguing that people shouldn’t use them – he points out – but since the pandemic began, an increase has been immediately evident to us optometrists. symptoms “.
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Eye drops can help, sure, “but sometimes other treatments are needed. A cure should be sought early to avoid shrinking or atrophy of the glands that reside on the surface of the eyes and help keep them moist. This is because, when it happens, the disease becomes irreversible and difficult to manage, even going so far as to have an impact on the quality of life. This diagnosis can include tests such as Schirmer’s test, in which strips of blotting paper are placed on the lower eyelids to determine the volume of tears the eye produces over a certain period of time, or epithelial staining, which uses a particular eye drop. yellow that helps determine how quickly the tears dry ”.
Even spending more time in front of a screen, for smartworking as well as for distance learning, “is leading to eyestrain and more dry eyes even in the youngest. In front of digital screens we tend to blink less, and this leads to more dry eyes ”.
For those who just can’t help but stand in front of a monitor for many hours a day, there is the 20-20-20 rule: “Every 20 minutes you have to deviate your gaze on something that is 20 feet away. distance (about 6 meters) for at least 20 seconds. But even better would be to get up from the chair and move away from the computer, perhaps to grab a glass of water or go outside for a few minutes. There is also an app (blinkingmatters.com) that you can install on your computer that reminds us to blink during the day “. Among other tips, the doctor recommends always keeping hydration levels high, carefully removing eye makeup such as eyeliner and mascara every night, wearing daily disposable lenses, never for too many consecutive hours, keeping on a humidifier near your desk and minimize your exposure to smoke because, yes, cigarettes also damage your eyes.
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