Purpose: To investigate the characteristics of mask wearing and the effect of masks on visual symptoms and clinical measurements in a sample of ophthalmic patients in Ghana. Methods: A clinic-based cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among ophthalmic patients who visited two primary care eye clinics in the Central Region of Ghana. Participants included 71 randomly sampled patients aged 18 years and above and consented to take part in the study. Their mean ages (SD) was 36.94±17.46 and they were made up of 27(38%) males and 44(62%) females. The patients responded to symptoms assessment questionnaire before their visual acuity (VA) for distance and near and IOPs with and without their face masks were measured. Results: The majority 45(63.4%) of the patients’ used fabric masks and 25(35.2%) reported ocular problems with the use of the masks. Of those who observed ocular problems, 8(32%) observed problems with the use of spectacles, and 5(20%) also observed problems with their vision. The mean difference in distance VA with and without face mask for the right eye was 0.08(0.36) and left eye was 0.05(0.25) MAR, indicating slight aberrations in vision. Mean differences in measurements with and without face masks were not statistically significantly different ( P < 0.05). A higher proportion of persons wearing KN95 experience nausea or headaches (ꭓ=18.610, p<0.001) and discomfort of wearing of nose mask (ꭓ=7.803, p=0.020). None of those wearing a fabric face mask reported of difficulty in accurately reaching for objects with the nose mask on. (ꭓ= 8.664, p=0.13). Conclusion: Face masks may exacerbate oculo-visual symptoms in ophthalmic patients, which practitioners must pay attention to.
Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the utility of two ocular biometric measurements to obtain Hirschberg ratios (HRs) in a binocularly normal paediatric population, and to assess the repeatability of this approach. Methods Ocular biometry data from 80 participants (aged 5 to 14 years) was obtained using the KM‐1 LED manual keratometer and the Tomey Biometer AL‐100 A‐scan. HRs were calculated from corneal curvature and anterior chamber depth measurements in the horizontal and vertical meridians of each eye using a regression equation based on a geometric optics model. To assess intrasubject variability in the HRs obtained from biometry, measurements were repeated approximately 1 h later. Results At the initial measurement, mean (SD, range) HRs were 10.77 (0.79, 9.14–12.73) and 11.02 (0.82, 9.48–13.32) °/mm for the horizontal and vertical meridians, respectively. There was a significant difference between the horizontal and vertical HRs (p < 0.0001). Mean intrasubject variability of HR was 0.06 °/mm (95% Limit of Agreement [LOA]: −0.82 to 0.94 °/mm), and 0.05 °/mm (95% LOA: −1.05 to 1.15 °/mm) for the horizontal and vertical meridians, respectively. Conclusion The results indicated that HRs obtained through ocular biometry in a binocularly normal paediatric population are consistent with previous studies in both strabismic children and adult cohorts. The HRs obtained with this technique were highly repeatable in this study population. This approach to gaze position calibration could be used in lieu of other empirical techniques in children.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.