The lockdown season has resulted in making lives of all of us taking a different turn and more so for patients. As far as eye care is concerned, over 80% of the problems can wait to get treatment. Most of the surgeries are done electively and there is no sense of urgency, at least in a great majority of cases. There are only very few cases that need immediate attention and care like severe eye infection, severe pain, eye injuries or sudden vision loss. Other than these, problems like itching, redness etc might be due to some simple reasons and can wait to get treatment. You need not even visit a doctor as soon as the symptoms start appearing. Some of these will be self-limiting and will go off in a couple of days. If not, you can consult your doctor via phone, get the drops prescribed by him from a pharmacy and use it according to his advice.
In this time of lock down, it is our moral responsibility to stay indoors and not visit an eye hospital unless it is an emergency. Patients who are already on eye medications can check with their doctor or hospital, in case they need any clarification. If they feel something wrong with the eyes, almost all hospitals have provided facilities to contact them via phone for a consultation. I would strongly recommend patients to resort to such means rather than visiting a specialist. Patients who have been asked to come for follow up either after undergoing an eye surgery or for some investigations during these days should either postpone their visit or get consultation via phone or through any other media.
Because all of us have been asked to stay indoors, chances are high that majority will be glued to televisions, tabs or any other such electronic gadgets. As we all know, too much of screen time creates fatigue for our eyes. This will create even more serious vision problems in children. Take a break after every half an hour and do some simple eye exercises. Motivate children to occupy themselves without any gadgets. Make it a point to wash your face and eyes often with fresh water.
Saving ourselves and the community from the spread of the infection is the need of the hour. It does not mean that we need to be panic. Our governments both at the centre and state levels have charted clear cut guidelines to contain the spread of the virus. There are several basic hygiene measures like frequent handwashing, avoid touching mouth, eyes or nose and social distancing which we have been asked to follow strictly. Our duty at this point of time is just to abide by these instructions. Together, we will overcome this crisis.
