Covid-19

Name: North Country Eye Care
Address: 10 Benning Street, Suite 10, West Lebanon, NH, 03784, US
Telephone: 603-678-4759
Price range: $000 - $300

Are Sore, Itchy Eyes a Sign of COVID-19?

If you’ve been exposed to COVID-19, the coronavirus, you could be experiencing a range of symptoms, including fever, chills, sore throat, dry cough and muscle aches. Now, studies have found that itchy, irritated eyes can also be a sign of COVID-19 infection. Here’s what you need to know.

Eye Discomfort and COVID-19

There are many reasons why people experience eye discomfort: Dry winter air, allergies and dry eye syndrome can all cause your eyes to feel itchy, gritty and uncomfortable. Now, a new study suggests that COVID-19 may also cause these symptoms.

A January 2022 retrospective study, published in Medical Principles and Practice, analyzed data from patients who were clinically diagnosed with conjunctivitis – also called “pink eye” – an inflammation of the conjunctiva, and who were later referred for PCR testing for COVID-19.

Symptoms that led to the diagnosis of conjunctivitis included eyelid pain or discomfort; a foreign body sensation in the eyes; itchiness; excessive watering; and crusting or flaking at the corners of the eyes.

Of the 672 cases sent for PCR testing after diagnosis of conjunctivitis, 121 (about 18%) were found to be positive for COVID-19.

The percentage of patients diagnosed with both conjunctivitis and COVID-19 was statistically significant enough to conclude that conjunctivitis could be a symptom of possible COVID-19 infection.

The researchers concluded that conjunctivitis can actually be the very first noticeable sign of COVID-19, since symptoms of conjunctivitis were often reported by COVID-positive patients several days before they noticed other symptoms more traditionally associated with the virus, such as fatigue, cough, fever and loss of taste or smell.

Furthermore, because conjunctivitis and its accompanying ocular itchiness and soreness can encourage a person to touch their eyes more often, it may increase the spread of COVID-19, the researchers said.

What To Do If Your Eyes Itch

If your eyes are itchy or sore, do your best not to touch or scratch them, as this can spread COVID-19 or another infection to the surfaces you touch. Wash your hands thoroughly and use doctor-prescribed eye drops when possible to alleviate symptoms.

Contact us at in if you are experiencing sore, irritated eyes, but follow local medical advice or contact your healthcare professional immediately if you suspect you have COVID-19. Health care professionals recommend taking a COVID test upon the first sign of symptoms to determine if you are COVID-positive and whether your symptoms could be linked to the virus.

If you are COVID-19 negative, your symptoms may be due to an eye infection, dry eye or another cause. Your eye doctor can prescribe eye drops, medications or discuss a range of in-office treatments to relieve your symptoms.

Q & A

Can COVID-19 cause blurry vision?

COVID-19 does not cause blurry vision on its own. However, people with COVID-19 can experience extreme fatigue, which can affect the way the eyes function and the brain’s ability to process visual information. This level of fatigue has been known to cause blurry vision, headaches or eye strain.

A 2020 study published in Graefe’s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology suggests that blurry vision can, in very rare cases, result from conjunctivitis linked to COVID-19.

Can a COVID-19 vaccine cause vision-related side effects?

Of the 3 types of vaccines currently in use throughout the United States (Pfizer/Biontech, Johnson and Johnson and Moderna), none have reported direct side effects that affect a person’s vision.

In extremely rare cases, the Johnson and Johnson vaccine has been linked to TTS, which is a blood clotting condition that can cause blurry vision, among other symptoms. This occurred in only 1 out of every 3 million patients.

Another 8 out of every 1 million patients may experience Guillain-Barre syndrome in connection with the same vaccine. This can cause double vision and difficulty moving the eyes, among other neurological symptoms.

How To Prevent “Mask Fog” on Your Glasses

If you wear glasses and a face mask, you’ve probably struggled with “mask fog.” Your lenses get all misty, requiring you to wipe your eyewear throughout the day. Below are a few strategies to help you prevent your eyeglasses from fogging up when wearing a mask.

But First, Why Do Glasses Fog Up?

Quite simply, condensation forms whenever moist warm air hits a cool surface. Your specs fog up when the mask directs your warm breath upward instead of in front of you — which is great for preventing virus transmission but bad for anyone with less-than-stellar eyesight.

Is Your Mask Well Fitted?

The mask should fit securely over your nose. Ideally, you’ll want to wear a mask with a nose bridge or one that can be shaped or molded to your face. When the mask fits properly, hopefully most of your breath will go through it, not out the top or sides.

Use Your Glasses To Seal the Top of Your Mask

This method works best with large, thick eyewear frames. By pulling your mask up higher on your nose and placing the lower part of your eyeglasses on the mask, you can get a snug fit that blocks your warm breath from escaping upward toward your eyewear.

Tape Your Mask to Your Face

You can always use tape to secure your mask across the bridge of your nose and the top of your cheeks. Use easy-to-remove tape, including adhesive, medical, or athletic. Just be sure to stay away from duct tape.

Soap and Water Help Prevent Fogging

This trick is one that healthcare professionals regularly turn to. All you need for this hack is soapy water (dish soap works best) and a microfiber cloth. Stay away from soaps with lotions in them as they can leave a thick residue, making it even harder to see.

Simply rub both sides of your lenses with a drop of soap, then buff the lenses with a soft microfiber cloth. This effective trick helps prevent your lenses from fogging up as a transparent, thin film of soap acts as a barrier.

Anti-Fog Wipes and Sprays

Another option is to purchase wipes and sprays designed to tackle foggy lenses.

Ask us about Zeiss Fog Defender which we offer for $7 per kit ( includes cleaner and cloth)!

Contact North Country Eye Care in West Lebanon today.

What Will Optometry Practices Look Like Post-COVID?

COVID-19’s rapid sweep across the country has forced optical practices to make rapid clinical management decisions. Some optometrists temporarily shuttered their businesses due to the pandemic, while others began to offer emergency appointment services and telehealth.

As mandatory restrictions begin to lift in many locations, optometrists are beginning to open their doors for routine care. But this time around they will implement strict social distancing guidelines and take unprecedented precautions to limit the spread of infection.

Some of the Changes You Should Expect to See

1) Signage throughout the office spelling out new steps and protocols to ensure maximum safety for staff and patients alike.

2) Social distancing will be the new norm. Packed waiting rooms will be a thing of the past. Instead, clinics will be spacing out seating to reduce capacity and scheduling in longer intervals to minimize patient interactions. Some clinics may ask patients to wait in their cars until they receive a text message from the office stating that they can come in.

3) Certain practices will require appointments for individuals to see and try on the array of frames and sunglasses at the dispensary. Bookings will be in 15-20 minute increments, accessed by one individual at a time.

4) Methods will be introduced to decrease the number of surfaces a patient touches. This will include leaving the clinic’s front door open (or replacing it with a motion-activated door), facilitating cashless payments, and encouraging patients to fill out registration forms online.

5) Patients who aren’t feeling well or who have been in contact with someone who is ill will be asked to reschedule their appointment two to three weeks in the future.

6) Measuring one’s temperature at the entrance will become commonplace — this goes for both staff and patients. Though not the most reliable screening tool, as those who are asymptomatic can still spread the virus, it will identify some people who aren’t well. Anyone registering 100.4° or above will be sent home.

7) There will be more time between appointments, to allow the staff to thoroughly clean and disinfect before and after each patient’s visit.

8) Many eye practitioners will be wearing safety goggles and face masks, particularly during any up-close contact with the patient. Patients may also be asked to wear masks.

9) Individuals with suspected ocular infections will be put in a special containment area.

10) Practices will frequently wipe down any patient area, including chairs, counters and doorknobs. Every exam room will be completely disinfected between appointments. In the dispensary, frames will be promptly disinfected after patients touch them.

11) Patients will be requested to wash or disinfect their hands upon entering the office and when entering different rooms. North Country Eye Care in West Lebanon has strict hygiene and sterilization protocols in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other infections.

If you’re dealing with a vision or eye health issue and need to visit North Country Eye Care, or if you would like some more information on how we have adapted our practice due to COVID-19, please don’t hesitate in contacting us. We’ll be happy to assist you however we can.

North Country Eye Care serves patients from West Lebanon, New Hampshire.

Visiting Your Optometrist During COVID-19

Is your eye doctor’s appointment coming up? Are you worried about going to the eye clinic during the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic? Rest assured, keeping our patients and staff are safe is our top priority.

We anticipate that this outbreak will continue for a while, and do not want our patients to neglect their eye care needs during this critical time. Our optometric clinic is prudent and has adopted specific measures to protect our patients and staff from potential exposure to COVID-19 during this time of uncertainty.

That said, guidelines for slowing the spread of this epidemic are rapidly changing. Please pay close to attention to local regulatory changes to get the most up-to-date information on whether practices can still remain open/ accept non-emergency cases.

Here Are the Precautions Our Eye Clinic Is Taking to Limit COVID-19:

We employ a strict office policy that mandates that all eye doctors, opticians, office staff, and patients not enter if they are feeling unwell or have a fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, shortness of breath, or have been exposed to a known case of COVID-19 or traveled outside of the country within the last 14 days.

The staff may ask you to wait outside rather than in the waiting area in order to protect yourself and others from any circulating germs. Furthermore, we are trying to schedule our appointments in such a way that our waiting room remains as empty as possible.

During your eye exam:

The eye doctor may use a special plastic barrier called a slit-lamp breath shield to block the exchange of breath between patient and doctor.
The optometrist may wear a mask with a plastic shield over the eyes.
The practitioner will wait for your slit-lamp eye exam to be over before speaking with you or answering any questions you may have.
We sanitize all equipment and patient contact surfaces after every use and at the end of the day.
We sanitize all surfaces and equipment (front desk counters, telephones, pens, door handles, waiting room chairs) with antibacterial wipes.
All staff members wash their hands after contact with each patient and throughout the day.
Our office is equipped with several sanitizing stations.
We request that patients sanitize their hands prior to and after trying on frames. We also make sure to clean frames that have come into contact with patients with soap and hot water.
If we don’t shake hands with our patients during this time, please don’t take it personally.

Please call North Country Eye Care at 603-678-4759 with any questions or concerns you may have. If you feel it’s best for you or a member of your family to reschedule your appointment, we encourage you to do so.

To stay abreast of the coronavirus pandemic, please visit the following official health organizations:

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) at www.CDC.gov
World Health Organization (WHO) at www.WHO.int

Thank you and stay safe!