The covid-19 pandemic left millions of people suffering physical and mental effects of the virus, from cardiovascular damage to headaches to brain fog. An increasing number of studies show that the virus may also affect eye health, causing symptoms such as dry eyes and blurred vision.
Approximately 1 in 10 people exposed to covid-19 experience at least one eye problem, according to a study published in the January–March, 2021 issue of the Journal of Ophthalmic and Vision Research. The study, entitled “Ocular Manifestations of Covid-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,” found that, on average, 11.03 percent of confirmed covid-19 cases had at least one symptom of eye discomfort.
The most common symptoms were dry eye or foreign body sensation (16 percent), redness (13.3 percent), tearing (12.8 percent), itching (12.6 percent), eye pain (9.6 percent), and eye discharge (8.8 percent). While some symptoms occur during infection with the virus, other symptoms such as headaches, poor depth perception, and light sensitivity can persist after recovery. Some doctors liken these symptoms, which may result from lack of oxygen to the brain, to those that follow post-traumatic brain injury.
How can we protect and heal our eyes?