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Purpose The purpose of this study is to observe pattern of digital device use and the various ocular, visual and systemic symptoms associated with them during the lockdown period of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods Two hundred and thirty-three volunteers were included in web-based open e-survey. The survey was designed on the 'Survey Monkey' website and distributed through social media platform. The information was collected regarding hours and numbers of digital devices along with numbers of digital activities carried out during the pandemic. A pretested symptom questionnaire was also included regarding ocular, visual and systemic symptoms before and during lockdown. The statistical analysis was carried out using Statistical Package of Social Science software. Results During the pandemic, most of the respondents were engaged in more than two digital activities (73.81%) over more than two digital devices (48.50%) for more than six days (65.66%). Maximum respondents were mobile users (97.85%) spending major time on social media (89.70%). Symptoms including watering eyes (P = 0.000), dry eyes (P = 0.000), shoulder pain (P = 0.020), back pain (P = 0.003) and headache (P = 0.043) showed positive correlation with hours of digital device use per day during lockdown, while itching eyes (P = 0.036) and pain behind eyes (P = 0.025) were the major symptoms in those engaged in a greater number of digital activities. Moreover, red eyes (P = 0.040) were more prominent in respondents using multiple devices for a greater number of hours. Conclusion A big jump in digital activities on multiple digital devices was seen during lockdown which are more prone to ocular symptoms. Acceleration of ocular and systemic symptoms was particular with rise in time spending on digital devices.

Computer Vision Syndrome is the complex of eye and visio n problems caused by computer use. I n present scenario children are equally being affected with computer vision syndrome because of excessive exposure to video display terminals. Therefore considering these prospects a clinical trial was carried with 1 0 clinically diagnosed children of compu ter Vision Syndrome. An Ayurvedic procedure (akshitarpana) was carried out on up to 20 min for 7 days. It was observed that a kshitarpana procedure was highly effe ctive in the complaints of computer vision syndrome exclusively related to eyes viz. red eyes, burning eyes, dry eyes, teary eyes, itching eyes, eyestrain and also in headache.

Background Trends in the prevalence rates of allergic symptoms in children have been discussed extensively, but it remains uncertain which symptoms increase or decrease over time owing to the lack of large-scale long-term consecutive cross-sectional studies performed on a representative population of children. Objective To clarify the trends in the prevalence rates of allergic symptoms in Japanese children. Methods Total population questionnaire surveys were conducted 15 times from 1975 to 2006 for all children attending public elementary schools in Osaka Prefecture, Japan, with the number of subjects ranging from 460,000 to 900,000. Parents of the children completed the questionnaire about allergic symptoms and other symptoms, including wheeze, physician-diagnosed atopic dermatitis, rhinitis, and itching eyes. Results Response rates were consistently over 90%. The prevalence of wheezing was constant until 1983, then increased from 1983 until 1993, then stabilized at about 4.4%. The lifetime prevalence of atopic dermatitis increased to 24% by 1993, and then decreased. The prevalence of rhinitis increased to 25% by 2003, whereas the prevalence of non-seasonal symptoms plateaued from 1993 on at 11% and vernal symptoms increased. The prevalence of itching eyes continued to increase to 21% in 2006, and vernal symptoms increased sharply. Conclusions In Osaka Prefecture, Japan, the turning point when the prevalence of wheezing in schoolchildren had begun to increase was 1983. And the turning point when the increase in the prevalence of wheezing, atopic dermatitis, and non-seasonal allergic rhinitis turned to decrease or constant was 1993. The prevalence of rhinitis and itching eyes in spring was still increasing in 2006.

OBJECTIVE: In a drug monitoring study, the efficacy and safety of Adhatoda vasica was studied on patients ages 12 to 80 with dust mite allergies. METHODS: The drug monitoring study (DMS) was performed with 103 patients suffering from symptoms of dust mite allergy (at least 4 of the following symptoms: runny nose, congested nose, sneezing, red eyes, itching eyes, watery eyes, coughing or difficulty breathing). The patient population was composed of 35 children over the age of 12 and 68 adults. The patients took, every hour or half hour up to 12 times daily, 10 drops (maximum 120 drops per day) of the investigational product, over a period of 7-9 days. To evaluate the efficacy, the decrease in allergy symptoms was assessed by means of a scaled evaluation by the physicians, as well as by a global evaluation of the efficacy by the physicians and the patients. Safety was estimated by the occurrence of adverse events, as well as by a global evaluation by the physicians and patients. RESULTS: Upon completion of the DMS, 83,5 % of the total group, 74,3 % of the children’s group, and 88,2 % of the adult group showed an improvement in dust mite allergy symptoms. Global evaluation of the efficacy by the physicians and the patients was 72 and 77 % respectively an assessment of "very good” to "satisfactory”. The global evaluation of the safety was rated 99 % by the physicians and 96 % by the patients "very good” or "good”. During the treatment period, 6 adverse events (AE) occurred. None of these AEs was classified as an adverse drug reaction.

Fuel wood smoke is known to be associated with a number of ocular diseases such as cataract, pterygium and dry eye syndrome amongst others. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on 290 kitchen staff in senior secondary schools in the Kumasi metropolis to identify the type of fuel and cooking stoves used and the ocular pathologies affecting them. Ocular examinations were performed on the kitchen staff. The study included administration of questionnaire, clinical and ocular history taking, visual acuity measurements, external eye examination, ophthalmoscopy, and Schirmer’s tear function test. The study revealed that 22.1% of the respondents had worked in the kitchens for a period of over twenty years. The major ocular complaints found amongst the 290 respondents were itching eyes (50.3%) and excessive tearing (40.3%). Majority (75.2%) of the kitchen staff were suffering from one or more eye diseases. The commonest ocular diseases were dry eyes (46.6%) pterygium (31.1%) and corneal ulcer (8.3%). All (100%) of the schools used firewood as their primary source of fuel. Most (76.9%) of the schools however used Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) to cook certain kinds of meals. Ventilation was poor in 53.9% of the schools visited. Very smoky kitchens were seen in 84.6% of the schools. In conclusion, it was observed that the Kitchen staff of Senior High Schools in the Kumasi Metropolis are at high risk of developing eye diseases that may be attributed to the working environment.

1.1. A suspension of a new water-insoluble whole ragweed pollen complex, believed to be more representative of all the allergenic components as they appear in the pollen and in a form which lends itself to slow absorption, was prepared. 2.2. The suspension can be standardized by a weight method which takes into account all antigenic fractions present. 3.3. A direct correlation between the nitrogen value and weight of the alum-precipitated pyridine whole ragweed complex is obtained. 4.4. A series of seventy-eight adult patients, highly sensitive to ragweed pollen, were treated with the suspension. Ten patients of this group continued their treatment on a monthly basis after having completed a course of preseasonal injections. 5.5. A greater tolerance for the suspension was noted (often twice the amount attained with aqueous extract was given with safety and often with one-half the number of injections). 6.6. Constitutional reactions were mild, delayed, and infrequent. 7.7. Excellent clinical relief was obtained following treatment of extremely sensitive patients treated with the suspension. 8.8. There was a notable absence of itching of the eyes in the hay fever patients treated with the suspension. 9.9. The symptom of itching eyes may be caused by the oil fraction of pollen, and the observed absence of this symptom following treatment may have been the result of successful immunization with the whole pollen extract which also contained the oil fraction.