Covid and the Eye

Eye becomes slightly painful, slightly red with pricking sensation and watering. This appears like any other conjunctivitis. What we need to look for is if there are any covid patients in the family or whether the patient has been in contact with any covid positive patient.

As we have passed almost one year of this covid pandemic, we are getting more and more knowledge about the disease. Now we have understood that covid is affecting retina (posterior part of the eye) and nerve of the retina also.

As we have understood, in covid disease there is clot formation in the blood. These blood clots block the blood vessels in the retina. Sometimes they block small vessels but sometimes even a major blood vessel and this may affect the vision.

If a minor blood vessel is blocked or a blood vessel which is carrying deoxygenated blood is blocked, either partially or fully, then not much vision is damaged. This can be rectified with the timely diagnosis and proper management. Very rarely the main blood vessel which is carrying oxygenated blood gets blocked and then the situation becomes tricky. But even in that case, if the patient reaches the ophthalmologist in proper time (within 6 hours of the loss of vision) sight can be very well saved with proper treatment. So even if covid patients get vision related complaint they should not get scared and take the help of an ophthalmologist. A proper diagnosis with the help of some investigations can definitely save the vision.

Although they are not fully reversible but with proper treatment we can save the circulation of blood in the eye. In that case almost 100% or more than 95% vision can be saved.

Along with this blood vessel block we have come across localized inflammation or what we call as retinitis in covid patients. This is treatable with medicines or in some cases with injections.

Steroids are a double edge sword. When used cautiously they are lifesaving and if not they can cause damage also. There is a category of patients called steroid respondents. In such patients, eyes can also be affected. Eye pressure can be increased and in some cases long term use of steroids can cause cataract also. But timely checkup can avoid such complications. Side effects can be reversed saving the vision.

We all know that steroids are commonly used for the treatment of covid. Steroids decrease the immunity of a patient. In such patients and more commonly in diabetics fungal infection is common. This fungal infection is also called as black fungus which grows in sinuses. In some cases, fungus can spread from sinuses around the eye or in some cases in the eye. Only in such cases the condition becomes serious and needs treatment either in the form of medicines or surgery. Again timely or a prompt diagnosis can always save eye and thereby vision.

Message to all covid patients is that if you get any problem with the eye, you should not get scared. Any eye problem related to covid can be managed and vision restored.