Dry Eye in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Dry eyes have changed a lot during the pandemic. There are 3 things that have caused dry eye symptoms to worsen for patients who already have it.  Let's explore what has made dry eye worse during the COVID-19 pandemic and what we can do to counter it!

 #1) Masks

Everyone is wearing a mask for some part of the day.  You're breathing and some of this air is going up into your eyes.  All-day long, or as long as you have your mask on, the air is being directed upwards from your nose or mouth into your eyes.  A lot of my patients complain about their eyes feeling drier now than they had before.

In addition, we are avoiding touching our eyes and faces, so you may not be putting artificial tears into your eyes as often as you would like.  Especially, if you are out and about, you may not be using your artificial tears like you used to.

To keep your eyes better lubricated, consider setting a reminder on your phone or computer to put tears in your eyes.  Keeping your eyes moist during the day will go a long way in increasing your comfort.

 #2) Cleaners

The pandemic is having us clean our environments more frequently! At the office, I am using disinfectants, like bleaches and alcohol up to 3-4 times an hour to cleanse the exam rooms in between each patient to make sure it's virus-free. These wipes and sprays leave fumes and particles in the air that can contribute to our dry eyes. 

On top of that, some of these cleaners are aerosols that are getting into the air. Aerosols may contain alcohol and bleach which are both irritating to the eyes. 

To combat all of these eye irritants, consider wearing eye protection while cleaning.  Use a face mask or a pair of goggles to avoid having the droplets get into your eyes.  Even rinsing your eyes with artificial tears on a schedule every couple of hours will be helpful.

#3) Disrupted Routines

Routines have inevitably been disrupted during the pandemic.  The things that we used to do and the order in which we used to do them have changed.  If you have been reading this blog for a while, you know that I advocate you using a four-step routine for your dry eye care.  Let's review it:

1) Hydrate: using preservative-free artificial tears.

2) Harmonize: cleansing the front surface of the eyes.  Keep the population of bacteria on your lids and lashes down so that our eyes can be in harmony.  Use HypoChlor spray from Ocusoft to spray onto the eyelids then rub this cleanser right into your lashes. Now, just let that air-dry.  You don't need to wash it off.

3) Heat: Use a warm compress to heat the oils in the lids.  Place the compress in the microwave for 20 - 30 seconds, then lay it over your eyes for 8 - 12 minutes, or as long as it stays warm. That's going to heat the oil inside your oil glands that are in your lids and allow the oils to come out and coat the front surface of your eyes with moisture.

4) Heal: Take an anti-inflammatory supplement to promote a healthy tear film.  HydroEye is filled with nutrients like Omega-three fatty acids that are beneficial to our tear film.

These are the four steps that I recommend twice a day.

Many of us may not be going to work or leaving the house, so we don't have that same wake-up routine of brushing our teeth, fixing our hair, and doing our dry eye routine. Even at bedtime, we may have fallen off from the routine of cleansing our eyes and lids or using our warm compresses before bed.

Personally, one thing that has changed in my schedule is that I shower as soon as I get home.  Since I used to take my makeup off at night before bed, I find that I forget to remove my eye makeup before I get in the shower with my new routine. 

I decided to put that step back into place by leaving my eye makeup remover in the shower.  Now, there's no way for me to leave out the important makeup removing step because my makeup remover will be in the shower right where I can reach it.

If you do not have a favorite eye makeup remover, I'd like to encourage you to get my guide. It's called the Guide to Makeup Removers for Sensitive Eyes.

In addition, if you'd like to review the 4-Step Dry Eye Treatment Plan, you can read the blog here.  And, download the Dry Eye Regimen Guide.

CONCLUSION

Several things are contributing to the worsening of dry eyes during the pandemic.  First,  wearing masks makes more air blowing into our eyes.  Second, the cleansers we are using are filled with bleaches and alcohol that can irritate the eyes.  Please remember to wear eye protection when you are cleaning.  You could use a shield, goggles, or just your eyeglasses to protect your eyes.

Lastly, don't forget your dry eye routine! Try to get back on track with it. You may need to post a reminder for yourself in your bathroom mirror or put your products where you can see them. Put your lid cleanser next to your toothbrush and your anti-inflammatory vitamins next to your coffee maker so that you remember to take them in the morning.

Don't let this break in your routine keep you from doing the things that you know make your eyes feel better. The key to a great dry eye treatment routine is to keep it simple.  Add your dry eye care to routines you already have in place, like brushing our teeth.  Develop some new routines or set reminders to get yourself back on track!