Eye Care during COVID-19

During COVID-19, eye care becomes equally important. Dr Sudeep Kishore Jain,eye surgeon is sharing some precautions to follow. For e.g put lubricant eye drops for dryness in eyes, follow the rule of 20-20-20, etc.

Coronavirus or COVID-19, most commonly transmits through the mucous membranes of eyes, nose and throat which is why it has been advised to wear masks and avoid touching our face.

The eye is the most frequently touched/rubbed part of the face, and also one of the most sensitive. Dr Sudeep Kishore Jain, Eye Surgeon is suggesting the following precautions to ensure minimum risk:

• Consciously avoid touching or rubbing the eyes and wear protective or prescribed eyeglasses.
• Dryness of eyes is the most common cause of touching/rubbing the eyes. So to control getting dry eyes,we should reduce our screen time, which is quite high nowadays due to everyone being at home. Put lubricant eye drops.
• Follow the rule of 20-20-20, that is, after every 20 minutes of screen time we look 20 feet away and blink our eyes 20 times.
• Eat food rich in Omega 3 and 6 like walnuts, broccoli, seeds & nuts, soyabean, corns etc. to reduce the impact of screen time on our eyes.
• Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis) may be a rare presentation in COVID-19. Any patient with red eyes and discharge along with fever or cough should visit their doctor promptly. They should wear protective eye gear and clean their eyes with disposable tissues only. Health professionals and family members should keep their distance from such patients, avoid touching their eyes while examining them or instilling eye drops and wear protective eye gear.
• Contact lenses can be used if the user washes hands properly before inserting and after removing them. Contact lenses should be cleaned appropriately. They are best avoided if there is any Irritation and redness( maybe due to Dryness/ Conjunctivitis) in the eyes.

Dr Sudeep feels and says, "Eyes are the most used organ in the body but least taken care of. Nowadays in era of gadgets, stress and poor lifestyle, eyes are badly affected."

Remember, wash your hands properly with soap for 20 seconds before and after touching the eyes. Dr Sudeep also suggests that one can easily count 20 seconds, if one counts out loud from 1001 to 1020, not 1 to 20.

Dr. Sudeep Kishore Jain is a renowned Eye Surgeon. He is an MBBS(MAMC, DELHI),MS(UCMS, DELHI),FRF.