Prolonged facemask wearing among hospital workers and dry eye - a mixed-methods study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Prolonged facemask wearing may have negatively affected essential workers with dry eye. We conducted a mixed-methods study to examine and understand the associations of the ocular surface, periocular environment, and dry eye-related symptoms among hospital workers across the job spectrum with prolonged facemask use.

Methods

We recruited clinical and non-clinical hospital workers with self-reported symptoms of dry eye and prolonged facemask use. We measured symptoms using the 5-item Dry Eye Questionnaire and the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI). Objective ocular signs included corneal and conjunctival staining, fluorescein tear break up time (TBUT), meibography, tear film interferometry, and periocular humidity. We compared symptoms and signs across levels of pe

SUBMITTER: Li T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10588155 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature