Your Eye Health is important even in Summer

During the lockdown, most of the Italian people neglected its eye health, postponing any scheduled surgery and medical check because of the fear of being infected in risky places such as medical offices and hospitals.

However, this summer we will be forced to live with the virus and, considering that our eyes are one of the potential channels for contagion, it is important to protect them and talk to a doctor if we feel any unusual pain and discomfort.

But, how do we understand if our eye troubles are related to Coronavirus, especially when we wear masks for a long time and are exposed to direct sunlight?

Eye problems caused by Covid-19

The conjunctivitis caused by Coronavirus is not so different from the usual viral conjunctivitis. It is mostly characterized by eye irritation, modest eye redness and poor tearing. It affects one eye first, then the other one.

It has to be said that it is very complicated to distinguish a conjunctivitis caused by Covid-19 from a usual one so, if you have the symptoms described before, just talk to a doctor!

Generally, it is good practice to avoid touching your eyes if your hands are not clean, especially in crowded places such as swimming pools and beaches. On the contrary, it is absolutely recommended to wear glasses and sunglasses in order to better protect your eyes (do not use contact lenses).

Eye problems caused by masks

If you wear masks for too long and in an incorrect way, you can have eye problems such as burning, dry eye, eyelid disfunction and, in the worst cases, bacterial conjunctivitis.

This happens when, for example, the mask does not adhere to the skin, creating a kind of link between the nose and the eyes that can facilitate the transmission of oral bacteria.

Generally, bacterial conjunctivitis attack both the eyes, causing purulent and dense discharges that block the eyelids.

In order to avoid this kind of problem, it would be better to wear the mask in the correct way, shaping it on your nose.

Eye problems caused by direct sunlight exposure

During summer, our eyes are more exposed to direct sunlight. Therefore, sight damages can significantly increase.

Keratitis is one of the possible short-term risks that can occur. It is a very painful discomfort that comes up after a long and unprotected sunlight exposure. It is usually a consequence of the dehydration of the cornea and it causes a throbbing pain that lessens only when the corneal epithelium goes back to normal.

In order to avoid this risk, it is kindly recommended to wear sunglasses with the CE marking certification and anti-UV filters.

Another short-term risk that can occur is the bacterial conjunctivitis. It manifests itself through itching, discomfort, burning, sensation of having something inside the eye, mucopurulent secretions especially when you wake up and excessive tearing.

To sum up, you should take care of your eyes even during summer, observing proper hygiene and assuring a continuous hydration through wet wipes and artificial tears.

And remember: it is always recommended to talk to an ophthalmologist, avoiding do-it-yourself therapies that can make your eye health worse.