HELP! I'M QUARANTINED

With the majority of the country (and the world for that matter!) ordered to stay at home as much as possible in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, lots of things are changing. Our world as we know it is vastly different than just a few weeks ago. We are constantly discussing health and safety in this new way of living in relation to COVID-19, but what about our eyes?? We’re here to help you keep your eyes in the best shape to avoid trips to the doctors office, which is probably about the last place you want to venture outside your home for right now! We’ve compiled a few questions and issues that our patients have brought to our attention in this new quarantined life.

I’m on my computer and phone 24/7 now. Is there anything I need to be doing for my eyes on screens?

Yes! Now more than ever, we are on our computers to work at home, we google everything Coronavirus for updates, FaceTime friends to stay connected, and we go on social media for a little comic relief with quarantine memes. Be sure to take eye breaks! Take a few minutes to look far away, go check on the kids, play inside (not on a screen!), or grab a snack. Even just a few minutes here and there can make such a huge impact on our eyes. Also, make sure the brightness on your screen is at half or less to reduce the blue light emitted to your eyes that can cause eyestrain, tired eyes, and headaches. Feel free to use some artificial tear drops throughout the day as well to keep those eyes well lubricated and comfy. No, not Visine or Clear Eyes! We recommend Blink, Systane, Refresh, and Thera Tears, all of which can be found in grocery stores, Target, or WalMart without a prescription. If you really don’t want to go outside, they can also be ordered on Amazon in larger quantities.

I’ve had a lid twitch ever since this pandemic chaos started. Help!

Eyelid twitching can happen in stressful situations, soooo that makes a LOT of sense! I know it is easier said than done, but try to relax. One of our favorite things to do these days is to meditate using the Headspace app. We highly recommend it! Also, try to get in a good amount of potassium, like a banana each morning, to help calm those muscle spasms. You can also use artificial tears to relax your eyes in the moment a twitch is happening.

I have a red, swollen eyelid. What can I do to get rid of it?

Now more than ever, we have had several patients develop a red, swollen eye. After evaluating these patients, it was clear that they have a stye on their lid. A stye is basically a buildup of oil. Think of a zit on your face, but on your eyelid. That oil is hard like a stick of butter. We just need to heat it up so it can become liquid and ooze out of the eyelid. Gross, I know! For this, use a washcloth with water on it or a Bruder Mask that you heat up in the microwave. Be sure that it’s not too hot before applying it to your lids! Put that on your eyelids and massage it for about 5-10 mins twice a day. You’ll want to reheat this so that you keep it warm the full time. We also recommend using it on both sets of eyelids. If you have buildup of oil on one lid, most likely you have it on the other three too. It just may not have formed a stye yet. Be sure to wipe those lids with a lid scrub afterwards as well to keep that bacteria off of your eyes and face after it has squeezed it’s way out of your eyelid. You can get lid scrubs over the counter as well or use a little bit of baby shampoo diluted in water on a cotton ball and brush it over your eyelids.

Styes happen from poor lid hygiene. Maybe when we stay at home all the time in our yoga pants and watching Netflix, hygiene is the first thing to go? Regardless, try not to neglect taking your makeup off each night, washing your face each day, and all other aspects of your typical skin and face cleansing routine. Just because you’re not at work, doesn’t mean you can skip a shower or two!

Can I still wear my contacts with coronavirus everywhere?

Although not recommended, you can still wear your contacts at this time as long as you’re follow proper hygiene techniques. Be sure to keep up with washing your hands before and after you remove and insert your lenses. By now, you know ALL the methods for good hand washing from just about everywhere so just be sure to implement that here as well. Also, just like they say not to touch your face throughout the day, don’t touch your eyes or your contacts throughout the day either. You’ll also want to be sure you do not reuse your solution in the case. After you put on your contacts, dump the solution and let it air dry during the day. In these instances, we love a daily or single-use contact lens for their disposable and healthy nature. If you’re not in a daily lens now, keep up with a good hand washing routine and we can always get you in a daily contact lens at your next annual exam.

Now that i’m working from home, I don’t want to wear my contacts. is that ok? will it change my prescription?

Yes, TOTALLY ok to just wear your glasses at home. Honestly, we think this is the BEST idea! By wearing just your glasses, it will not change your prescription in your contacts. Glasses can actually provide an extra barrier to particles in the air, much like a mask but for your eyes! You can also use this time to give those eyes a much deserved break from contact lenses. Use lots of artificial tears to re-lubricate them after continued use of your contacts. You may be surprised at just how good those eyes and contacts feel after 2-3 weeks of glasses only and eye drops 2-4x each day.

We know that life is a little crazy, stressful, and uncertain right now, but we don’t want your eyes to make any of that worse. We hope that you use these tips and tricks while quarantined to keep your eyes at their best. From all of us at Spectacle, we hope and pray that you and your family are staying happy and healthy! We can’t wait to see you soon (and in person) when things settle down!