With the COVID-19 pandemic we have seen exceptional things, and we have also stopped seeing other very important ones that we want to continue to enjoy. Its fundamental to maintain our eyes and vision in a good condition, something that has not always happened during the pandemic. According to the study “Salud ocular en tiempos de Covid”, realised by Miranza, leading group in centers of ophthalmological excellence in Spain and of which IBO has been a part for just over a year, 75% of Spaniards have not attended the ophthalmologist in recent months, even though three out of ten have noticed a visual worsening.
What eye problems have gotten worse?
According to Dr. Renata Rodrigues, medical director of the Balear clinic Miranza IBO, “this delay in controls has particularly aggravated chronic pathologies such as glaucoma (progressive damage of the optic nerve) or DMAE (retinal degeneration), which require early diagnosis and regular monitoring to prevent irreversible vision loss”.
Both are common especially from the age of 60, age at which cataracts also begin to appear, another of the eye diseases that has noticed the consequences of the pandemic. “The Covid has slowed the tendency to operate cataracts early. This not only prevents visual limitation from affecting the day-to-day, but we also minimize the risk of complications and achieve faster recovery,” explains Dr. Rodrigues.
Dr. Renata Rodrigues and Dr. Javier Chacártegui at the entrance of the ophthalmology clinic. Photos: Pep Caparrós.
From Miranza IBO, with twenty ophthalmologists specialized in the different pathologies and parts of the eye, they encourage not to postpone the solution of cataracts and other vision problems that can have an impact on the quality of life of both the elderly and the young. In this sense, the collective of teleworkers, as well as the new generations, who make great use of screens, have also seen how their eye well-being has diminished by spending many hours staring at short distances.
The arrival of summer can be an excellent opportunity to “give a breath” to our eyes and fine-knit them with a complete ophthalmological review, that allow us to resume projects and continue to enjoy a life to see.
The mask effect on the eyes
In covid time, masks have become an essential safety element, although they involve some discomfort, such as wearing always tarnished glasses. As a result, Dr. Javier Chacártegui, Miranza IBO specialist, stresses that “the demand for patients who want to rely less on glasses and correct their myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism or presbicia (tired eyesight) has grown through refractive surgery, either with laser techniques or intraocular lenses”. Furthermore, consultations have also increased due to other issues that Miranza IBO addresses in a specialized way. This is the case of dry eye, whose symptoms increase the use of the mask and can be mitigated with a tailor-made treatment, or aesthetic problems in the periocular area, such as the “bags” under the eyes, which are currently becoming more evident and can be treated with techniques such as blepharoplasty.
Miranza IBO
Camí de la Vileta, 7 y 30 (Miramar). Palma de Mallorca.
T. 971 00 31 50
www.miranza.es
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