We are surrounded by many diseases and pitfalls in life. Recently, we have had to learn to live with a new coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Face masks have become an integral part of our clothing, we have begun to question the real impact of the virus on our health. We discussed some of the most frequently asked questions with our optometrist Ing. Marta Kulinová.
At the very beginning, we will ask about the most common problem for eye-glasses wearers – what helps to prevent fogging of the glasses while wearing a mask?
There are two ways to get rid of the moisture that condenses on the spectacle lenses. One of them is a cloth that is impregnated with a solution with anti-condensation effect. We have the best experience with this and it usually lasts at least 150 uses. It is not recommended to soak the cloth again in any solution, as it already contains the solution itself and only needs to be stored in a ziplock container to keep it moist. This option is the most comfortable and has the best effect.
The second alternative is solutions with anti-condensation effect. However, it is important to follow one rule, and that is to wipe the glasses with the solution each time you move between the environments. Cleaning the glasses with a dry cloth or other solution will wipe off the anti-condensation layer, thus losing the ability of the glasses not to mist up.
We don’t know everything about Covid-19 yet. However, is it possible for me to be more susceptible to infection with this coronavirus because of my visual impairment?
Quite the opposite. Because we wear glasses and therefore need an optical aid, these are the best face protection. Thanks to the glasses, the virus does not get into the mucous membrane of the eye when in contact with a potential wearer.
And what about contact lenses? Can they also serve as protection?
Only partially because the contact lenses cover only one third of the eye.
Can my body be more susceptible to receiving the virus by having a visual impairment? Does it make me more vulnerable?
Visual impairment is not essentially a disease. It is our physiological state, a predisposition with which we are often born, and it is actually just whether our eye is longer or shorter. In this case, the organism is not weakened and the defect itself does not affect whether we get sick or not.
If we become infected with the virus, are there any known symptoms typical for people with visual impairments? We are talking, for example, about stronger headaches, eye pain or even partial blindness…
Quite often it happens to us that a client comes to us who suddenly needs glasses in his forties, because he is very focused on what he is reading. He has a headache, he even has migraines, which is a very common condition that a person can not easily overcome. So headaches leading up to migraines, dizziness, even vomiting, this commonly happens. However, it is caused by wearing glasses with incorrect correction and can lead to great discomfort.
Can my sight or my existing visual impairment deteriorate from coronavirus infection?
In our practice, we have had cases where patients who had mild signs of visual impairment before Covid came, but this was not yet very limiting. Covid got it worse and they had to solve their discomfort. In my opinion, however, such a situation is not only caused by coronavirus. It happens that you go to see a doctor when you already need, for example, reading glasses. This usually manifests itself after the age of 40 and is due to the fact that the muscles are no longer as flexible, just as the disease weakens the whole organism, so the muscles of the eyes can no longer contract and stretch the lens as it would be needed. You may look for a doctor after Covid a few months earlier than you would have otherwise planned, but this development can also occur with another disease, as the body is under a heavy burden in the case of another disease.
Are there known cases where two patients with Covid, one of whom has a visual impairment, has worse symptoms? Can it be compared at all?
Exactly… It is absolutely individual and by no means comparable. It is more important how the organism handles the virus. Whether we see better or worse has no effect on the development of the disease.
Yet, can my visual disadvantage affect the development of the disease?
It should be remembered that a visual defect is not a disease unless, of course, it is a specific diagnosis, such as keratoconus. So far, it has not been reported anywhere that a visual defect affects the course of the disease.
What about treatment – can eye drops, for example, alleviate my illness?
The fever rises during Covid and the eyes dry naturally. Eye drops moisturize the mucous membrane of the eye and help make the process more pleasant. However, they do not kill the virus itself, nor do they cure the disease.
Is there another way to relieve the eyes?
It is important to avoid blue light, meaning a minimum of stimuli from the screen, ideally none. However, it is generally known that the greatest relief to the eyes is to look at a distant green tree or other object in the distance, preferably in a green environment. In the case of Covid, it is clearly the best to rest with your eyes closed.
What should I do after overcoming the disease? Do I have, for example, the right to be examined by an ophthalmologist?
Everyone is entitled to see an ophthalmologist. I recommend going for an examination in case of any suspected deterioration of vision after overcoming the disease. It should be confirmed whether the deterioration was caused by something else, whether it is diopter or another defect in the back segment of the eye. It is important to order yourself to an ophthalmologist to assess the situation.
But it is not a necessity.
This is due to the feeling and exclusion of other factors. Nowhere is it indicated that we should see an ophthalmologist after overcoming Covid.
The topic of vaccination has become very hot. Can my visual impairment be an advantage or a reason to jump in the ranking of people who will be vaccinated as a priority?
I don’t think this is possible. I have not yet encountered the fact that we, as opticians, would be preferred to be vaccinated. Criteria are set and visual impairment is not a life-threatening disease to aid in earlier vaccination.
