Visual Complaints and Habits During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Portugal
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48560/rspo.26385Keywords:
COVID-19 , Pandemics, Quarantine, Vision DisordersAbstract
Introduction: This study reports type of visits realized during 2020 in Portugal, population habits, and eye complaints regarding visual health in the COVID-19 pandemic context.
Material and Methods: An email invitation to an online cross-sectional survey and also performed to patients from ophthalmology clinics in Portugal from September/November 2020.
Results: Eight hundred thirty three respondents (60% females) aged more than 18 years-old, participated with valid anonymous responses. Of the total number of respondentes, 54% identified a lot of discomfort caused by increasing dry eye symptoms according to more intense digital work and lens fogging up when using masks. A percentage of 90% of the respondents used digital devices at least 3 hours on average per day, and 33% started using digital devices more than 8 hours on average per day. In addition, 44% of respondents felt that their near vision had worsened in this period. The first major symptom of presbyopia was related to difficulty reading smaller letters in packages; 90% had the first symptoms at the age of 40. The most frequent ametropia identified were astigmatism (47%) and myopia (43%). For parents, having good eyesight (79.5%) was the most valued aspect of their children's lives.
Conclusion: The findings provide an idea of the challenges during COVID-19 for eye practices. In a society highly dependent on vision, it is essential to focus on signs and symptoms that lead to ophthalmologic conditions. The excessive use of digital devices and the use of masks during this pandemic has aggravated some pointing the importance of reference to plan efficient eye care in similar situations.
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