Eye Health and Vision Changes After Covid

If you have fallen ill to Covid and come out of quarantine, have you noticed that your eyes don’t feel the same? Have you wondered if your vision and eye sight got worse after Covid? Fever, coughing, achey joints, and a loss of taste and smell are hallmark symptoms of Covid-19. With the past, present, and future mutations of the virus making it’s way through the world there is strong evidence to suggest that Covid is leaving wake of negative effects on your eyes. After recovery, there are reports and data coming to light that Covid is creating long lasting changes and symptoms in patient’s eyesight, optic nerves, retinal tissue, and corneal membranes. Healing Eye Care strongly encourages that anyone who has contracted Covid in the last 2 years have a comprehensive eye examination with retinal imaging and macular pigment testing if they have not done so already. We will not see patients that are actively testing positive for the virus and ask that our patients comply with CDC quarantine recommendations if they are sick. 

Vision Changes from Covid

An annual eye examination will be able to identify any changes to vision that may occur as a long lasting effect of the virus. The good news is that this is a fairly easy solution of simply having a new pair of prescription glasses made or having a new contact lens prescription calculated. We have noticed a much larger amount of patients than normal in the past year have large prescription fluxuations. We recommend that if you generally have your annual eye exam on a routine basis that you consider coming in sooner if you have had Covid after your last eye exam.

Our experience and internal studies have shown that in addition to changes in vision, we have found that more patients than ever before are also in need of a separate pair of computer glasses. A need brought on by symptoms of working from home and spending more time in front of a computer than ever before. This trend has applied both to children as well as adults! 

 Dry Eyes from Covid

Beyond the scope of blurry vision, Dr. Gindi also urges her patients to come in for a “Post-Covid” examination so that she may take a comprehensive look at the membrane that covers our eyes and ensure that we don’t have any lingering, inflammation, dryness, or other external symptoms that can lead to discomfort and more long term complications. There are solutions and remedies to these as well. Ranging from supplements, eye drops (both prescription and over the counter), in office treatments, and at home remedies too. Many of these issues can go unnoticed by patients as the body can become conditioned and get used to having the eyes feel dry or inflamed. 

Retinal Examination

Lastly, a comprehensive eye exam from a qualified eye doctor would be necessary to examine the health and structure of the retina. To observe changes, damage, or abnormality with the optic nerve, macula, tissue, and vascular systems inside the eye for sight threatening conditions. Only an eye doctor can perform this type of examination. Healing Eye Care is equipped with an Optomap Daytona. This retinal imaging technology allows us to take fast, easy, instant, and painless images of the retina. The images are extremely high resolution and wide angled, allowing Dr. Gindi to closely zoom in and perform a complete and comprehensive look and also can be stored on file to compare to changes from years past, and in the future. Dr. Gindi has been practicing general and specialized optometry for over 35 years and her experience combined with technology will be the most thorough eye exam in Clearwater FL.

Given the state of pandemic awareness, there are more questions than answers. There have been many changes to our lives and we will all remember this forever. The team at Healing Eye Care wishes that everyone be safe and healthy. Though we cannot be there for you while you are sick if you contract Covid, we are here for you after. To focus on making sure that we can diagnose and offer solutions for you if there are any long lasting effects. If you or a loved one has recovered from Covid please be sure to have them contact our office or book an exam online.