The study has been published in the scientific journal ’ Cornea, The Journal of Cornea and External Disease ’. This study is the first in the scientific literature to demonstrate the effects of wearing masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in patients with dry eye. Until now, there were investigations that reported the clinical impression of worsening dry eye due to the use of masks, but the effect on ocular tears had not been proven.
“We have demonstrated, for the first time, the effect of masks on the stability of the tear film in patients with moderate or severe dry eye,” says the ophthalmologist from the Ocular Surface and Inflammation Unit of the San Carlos Clinical Hospital and first signatory of the study, Pedro Arriola Villalobos.
31 patients with an age range of between 31 and 80 years were included in the study, from whom two measurements of the stability of their tears were taken using a non-invasive system to test eye dryness: an initial one with the mask put it on and a second one after 10 minutes after taking it off.
Patients had worn a mask for at least 30 minutes before the first measurement. The measurements were carried out in ocular health conditions, with a temperature of 20ºC and a relative air humidity of between 40 and 50%, in an isolated and ventilated room between patient and patient.
The results of this research "reveal that the continued use of a mask affects the stability of ocular tears since it evaporates more quickly, enhancing the dry eye situation in patients who suffer from it moderately or severely," emphasizes the ophthalmologist at the Clinician, Bárbara Burgos, also author of the study.
"These patients - continues Arriola Villalobos - must be aware that the mask can increase the condition of dry eyes and must intensify their treatment, because for the moment they must continue using a mask indoors in the face of the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic and in outdoors as long as the safety distance with other people is not met.”
Poor mask fixation contributes to exacerbating dry eyes
Poor fixation of the mask on the bridge of the nose can contribute to exacerbating the discomfort caused by dry eyes if it is not perfectly fixed to the face, since the air we exhale escapes through the top of the mask, reaching the ocular surface. .
This upward movement of air over the surface of the eye causes the tear to evaporate sooner, reducing the lubrication of the ocular surface and, consequently, the lubricating function of the tear. All of this leads ophthalmologists to recommend increasing the frequency of use of artificial tear treatment in patients with dry eye. During the pandemic, an increase in the prevalence of ocular pathologies has been observed, in some cases being related to the use of masks, manifesting greater irritation, tearing and red eyes.
Dry eye is a multifactorial eye disease that is characterized by a qualitative-quantitative alteration of the tear film, and it is estimated that it affects more than a third of the population over 60 years of age, especially women. The most common symptoms are ocular discomfort, dryness, stinging, foreign body sensation, and temporary blurred vision.
Even despite the effects that the use of the mask has on moderate or severe dry eye, the ophthalmologists at the San Carlos Clinical Hospital remind patients of the obligation to use it indoors or when it is not possible to maintain a safe distance. outdoors while the pandemic lasts, increasing your treatment if necessary.
Reference : Effect of Face Mask on Tear Film Stability in Eyes With Moderate-to-Severe Dry Eye Disease
Arriola-Villalobos, Pedro MD, PhD*,†; Burgos-Blasco, Barbara MD†,‡; Vidal-Villegas, Beatriz MD†,‡; Oribio-Quinto, Carlos MD†,‡; Ariño-Gutiérrez, Mayte MD†,‡; Diaz-Valle, David MD, PhD*,†; Benitez-del-Castillo, Jose Manuel MD, PhD†,§ Cornea: October 2021 - Volume 40 - Issue 10 - p 1336-1339 doi: 10.1097/ICO.0000000000002734
