Abstract :
Background:u00a0In normal population and patient, the significant increase in dry eyesu00a0manifestationsu00a0have beenu00a0observed.u00a0Similarly, aggravated symptoms and complaints of drynessu00a0haveu00a0also been observed in clinical and hospital staff by using a face mask for an extended time period.u00a0Theu00a0purposeu00a0of theu00a0studyu00a0wasu00a0tou00a0observeu00a0theu00a0associationu00a0betweenu00a0symptomsu00a0of dry eyes andu00a0the durationu00a0of using masks inu00a0health professionals.nMaterials and Methods: An unspecified questionnaire was distributed using Google Forms through different social media platforms, asking each respondent to contribute to the survey. Data were collected from December 2021 to January 2021. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. Statistical significance was considered if p-value was less than 0.05.nResult: A total of 39 responses was included for analysis in the study. There was a positive correlation between the frequency of the symptoms of dryness and the duration of using the mask. Similarly, the severity of the symptoms for dry eyes was strongly correlated with an increase in the frequency of symptoms for dry eyes.nConclusion: The finding reflects that the frequency of the dryness along with the severity will increase with the increase in the duration of wearing a mask. Moreover, it also suggests that cloth mask is the probable predisposing factor for the increase in the dry eye symptoms in this study.nu00a0
Keyword :
Dry eye, Frequency, Health professionals, Mask, Severity, Symptoms.