In this last year, we have been living through a global pandemic during which we have had to habitually wear masks.
Without a doubt, the eyes have been greatly affected, especially because they require specific humidity and temperature for proper functioning.
Specialists are observing an increase in cases of dry eye surface (dry eye) and styes in ophthalmology clinics.
Some doctors explain that mask use is affecting our ocular health, as exhaled air escapes from the top of the mask and reaches the eye.
To generally prevent the development of these discomforts, the first thing is to "adjust the upper edge of the mask to the facial contour as best as possible."
Dry Eye: maintaining hydration
Dry eye is the main condition being seen in clinics, not only in patients who already suffered from it and have seen their situation worsen, but also in those who had not previously experienced dry eye problems.
Conjunctivitis: Red Eye
Conjunctivitis is an inflammation or infection of the transparent membrane (conjunctiva) that lines the eyelid and the white part of the eyeball. When the tiny blood vessels in the conjunctiva become inflamed, they become more visible. This is what makes the white part of the eye turn reddish or pink.
The most common cause of conjunctivitis is a bacterial or viral infection, an allergic reaction, or, in infants, a partially open tear duct.
While conjunctivitis can be annoying, it rarely affects vision. Treatments can help relieve the discomfort of conjunctivitis. Since conjunctivitis can be contagious, early diagnosis and treatment limit its spread to others.
Symptoms
The most common symptoms of conjunctivitis are:
- Redness in one or both eyes
- Itching in one or both eyes
- A gritty sensation in one or both eyes
- Discharge from one or both eyes that forms a crust overnight, which can prevent you from opening one or both eyes in the morning
- Tearing
What can we do to prevent dry eye?
At Óptica LUPER, we advise natural eye hydration with LUPER artificial tears, applying them when wearing a mask for prolonged periods.
There are two options:
Moisturizing Drops, recommended before sleeping:
Eye wash, recommended in the morning.
If you want to delve deeper into this topic, in the following article you can learn how to keep your eyes hydrated and healthy.
Styes: eyelid hygiene
Changes in humidity are also altering the eye's natural bacteria, favoring an increase in infections. Styes are a bacterial infection in the eyelid, where a red lump appears within the eyelid tissue.
What can we do to prevent it?
The key is to perform a good cleaning of the eyelids with closed eyes and a pH-neutral soap. Apply with a gauze and rinse with water; it is recommended at least once a day.
Additionally, to prevent these ocular alterations, there are three key points today to avoid all of this:
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Avoid prolonged mask use
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Hand hygiene
This is essential to keep your eyes safe. Throughout the day, we rub our eyes with dirty hands, which could lead to eye infections or other ocular diseases.
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Reduce air conditioner use
It is very common in summer to spend many hours a day using air conditioning units in enclosed spaces such as home, car, or work. This can cause us to feel some dryness or discomfort in our eyes.
Air conditioning units remove humidity, making the air they expel dry. This causes the tear film to evaporate more quickly.
The tear film is a very thin aqueous layer that covers the surface of our eye. Its functions are to cover and protect the eye from external agents, nourish and clean the ocular surface, and above all, keep the eyes well hydrated.
When any factor alters this layer, the properties of the tear film are lost, and its functions decrease. Continuous exposure to the dry air caused by air conditioning dries the ocular surface, which can lead to "dry eye syndrome."
This syndrome is a very common eye disorder and occurs when the tear film does not generate enough tears or the tears generated are of low quality, thus drying the surface of the cornea.
This dryness can cause the following symptoms in our eyes:
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Redness
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Irritation
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Burning or stinging
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Gritty sensation or foreign body sensation
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Heavy eyelids
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Increased light sensitivity
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Eye fatigue
Although there are other factors that cause the appearance of this syndrome, such as smoke, environmental pollution, or heating, the most common in summer is the use of air conditioning units or fans.
We await you at LUPER to advise you on everything you need, provide you with a no-obligation quote, and check your vision for free with our exclusive Personalized Vision Exam.
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