Dry eyes and myopia: when is Covid's fault?

excessive, tired and fatigued eyes and difficulty in focusing on distant objects. These are the most significant ocular symptoms experienced by those who have contracted Covid-19. Even those who did not come into direct contact with the virus, however, felt irritation and visual disturbances due to the prolonged use of masks and electronic devices for smartworking and teaching.

, coughs or talks. When the droplets are breathed in or inhaled, the virus enters the organism and replicates itself. You can also come into contact with the virus simply by touching your eyes, nose and mouth with your now infected hands.

is mainly a pathology affecting the respiratory system, which has among the most common symptoms continuous cough and high fever, some research has shown that in some positive subjects ocular manifestations may appear, such as conjunctival discharge, eye rubbing and conjunctival congestion. Conjunctivitis is also a symptom - albeit less common - of Covid-19, according to the World Health Organization. The type, frequency and ocular transmission of the virus should not be ignored, especially since the eye has been recognized as one. of the organs through which the virus could enter the body. (66%), fever (76%), fatigue (90%) and loss of smell / taste (70%). The 3 most common eye symptoms were photophobia (18%), sore eyes (16%) and itchy eyes eyes (17%). The frequency of sore eyes was significantly higher during the Covid-19 positive state (16%) compared to the pre-Covid-19 state (5%). 81% of the participants reported experienced ocular symptoms within 2 weeks of other symptoms and 80% reported that they lasted for less than 2 weeks.

. This causes dryness and increases friction when opening and closing the eyelid.

In addition, germs naturally present in the mouth, so-called saprophytic germs, are very aggressive to the eye. The process of blowing towards the eyes when wearing the mask brings breath to the eyes and can cause infections. , which, however, it should be noted, are quite rare.

has considerably changed the daily habits of millions of people, including prolonged and constant exposure to screens of electronic devices. Smartworking and the impossibility of carrying out sports and recreational activities in the open have considerably expanded. All this has had some effects also on eye health, causing a general worsening of distant vision.

The crystalline, a natural lens that serves to focus on the objects that we are in front of, both from a distance and from near, whose health is essential for sight, moves thanks to the ciliary body, an elastic muscle, whose elasticity goes decreasing over the years. Spending many hours looking at objects from a close distance, as happens in recent months due to the pandemic, leads the lens to forget its initial shape and take longer to return to its usual state of rest. For this reason, if you spend many hours looking at your computer or mobile phone, it may be more difficult to start looking from afar again, not so much because of a real myopia but because of a "Covid-19 myopia" because the lens cannot immediately return to its initial shape.

When the eye gets used to always looking closely, it is inclined to focus on this trend, leading to myopia.

The pandemic has also caused an increase in the psychological effects of video chats.

To reduce the risk of contagion, after coming into contact with objects and surfaces, sanitize your hands without making mistakes.