Influence of Face Masks on the Use of Contact Lenses

Clara Martinez-Perez, Bruno Monteiro, Mafalda Soares, Fatima Portugues, Sonia Matos, Ana Ferreira, Cristina Alvarez-Peregrina and Miguel Ángel Sánchez-Tena
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Clara Martinez-Perez: ISEC LISBOA—Instituto Superior de Educação e Ciências,1750-179 Lisboa, Portugal
Bruno Monteiro: ISEC LISBOA—Instituto Superior de Educação e Ciências,1750-179 Lisboa, Portugal
Mafalda Soares: ISEC LISBOA—Instituto Superior de Educação e Ciências,1750-179 Lisboa, Portugal
Fatima Portugues: ISEC LISBOA—Instituto Superior de Educação e Ciências,1750-179 Lisboa, Portugal
Sonia Matos: ISEC LISBOA—Instituto Superior de Educação e Ciências,1750-179 Lisboa, Portugal
Ana Ferreira: ISEC LISBOA—Instituto Superior de Educação e Ciências,1750-179 Lisboa, Portugal
Cristina Alvarez-Peregrina: Faculty of Biomedical and Health Science, Universidad Europea de Madrid, 28670 Madrid, Spain
Miguel Ángel Sánchez-Tena: ISEC LISBOA—Instituto Superior de Educação e Ciências,1750-179 Lisboa, Portugal

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 14, 1-10

Abstract: Background: The COVID-19 epidemic is largely controlled by the use of face masks. The use of a face mask has been indicated as a strong cause of dry eye, although it is not yet described in the literature. This study aims to compare the impact of the use of masks on the visual quality of patients. The symptoms in the human eye intensified during the pandemic versus the symptoms before the pandemic, in a Portuguese population. Methods: A fifteen-question questionnaire was conducted to find out what changes occurred in the use of soft contact lenses during the pandemic in relation to the use of masks. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 27.0 software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results: The use of contact lenses decreased compared with before the pandemic ( p < 0.001). The number of hours of wear decreased significantly compared with before the pandemic ( p < 0.001). The sensation of dry eyes was found to be worse in those using monthly replacement contact lenses ( p = 0.034), and the need to remove contact lenses was more frequent in women ( p = 0.026) after using a mask. Conclusions: Mask use increases dry eye symptoms in contact lens wearers, negatively impacting visual quality.

Keywords: contact lenses; mask; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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