Coronavirus can also affect your eyes (but there are other more common ocular reasons why you should go to the emergency room)

Coronavirus is very versatile and the list of symptoms it causes in the body does not stop growing. To the well-known string of cough, fever, and shortness of breath Less common, but alert, symptoms are now added, such as sudden loss of smell and the appearance of spots on the skin.

A study conducted with coronavirus positive patients in China found that of 38 patients, 12 developed eye manifestations like constant tearing, swelling in the conjunctiva and mild conjunctivitis. A symptomatology that has also been described in countries like Italy, although it is not the most common and usually occurs in patients who have developed the most serious forms of the infection.

In case the flies the experts warn that in times of coronavirus you have to pay special attention to the eyes, how? To begin by taking away the mania of touching and scrubbing them. Firstly, because in animal models it has been proven that the eyes can be a way of contagion And, secondly, because what has been proven in humans is that there are viruses in the tears of infected people, so if you rub your eye with your hands and then touch something, you can leave a few viruses as a gift. next one to pass by.

In short, whether there is coronavirus in the environment or not, rubbing your eyes has never been a good idea. “Not only because it increases the risk of infections, but also because rubbing the eyes often and with intensity can cause deformations in the cornea. The cornea is a malleable structure and we can compromise it if we have this habit, "says the Dr. José Luis Ramos, ophthalmologist and Medical Director of Clínica Baviera Málaga. This is one of the habits that you should keep in mind while the coronavirus alarm is in the air.

Before going to the emergency room, use telemedicine

If at this point you are wondering if you get up with a red eye like a tomato you must go running to the health center, do not panic, because telemedicine and your mobile camera can come to the rescue, because before being due to the coronavirus, it is more possible that your allergy to pollen is playing tricks on you. "It is rare for someone to debut in coronavirus with conjunctivitis, which It is not uncommon that in these we see this type of eye problems. Patients send me a photo of the eye and you can see everything there, which is swollen, dry, watery … That is easily solved with a quick consultation and an eye drop from the pharmacy"Says Dr. José Luis Ramos.

In fact for some very common eye problems on these dates, it is enough to go directly to the pharmacy. For example, if you have an allergy to pollen and you know, from previous spring experiences that your eyes are giving you war for this reason with itching and redness, in the pharmacy they can provide you without prescription an antihistamine eye drop to calm your irritated eyes “under eye doctor's follow-up via phone or videoconference this type of eye drops can be consumed without problems for a couple of months. Applying cold cloths and saline that pull allergens from the surface of the eye also help to combat this symptom, ”says dr. José Luis Ramos.

When to go to the emergency room

That the coronavirus is circulating in hospitals and emergency services is no reason to request help from these services when the occasion requires it. And when it comes to our eyes, almost everything important tends to take with one of these two symptoms (and sometimes both at the same time): pain maintained over time and significant loss of vision usually in one of the eyes. If you suffer from either of these two symptoms, you need to see a doctor to prevent further illness.

"Very severe pain in one eye that after a few hours with some analgesic treatment it does not take off, it must be evaluated in consultation because it may be due to a eye strain. On the other hand, people who suddenly start to see many black spots, which may be due to a detachment of the vitreous, or black spots associated with lights, which may be a sign that a retinal detachment is starting, they also need an assessment ”, summarizes the expert.

And of course, if during confinement you got DIY and a splinter falls in your eyes or you suffer some type of trauma In the area, you also have to ask for help. Fortunately, there are very few things in eye health that are extremely urgent, "concludes dr. José Luis Ramos.