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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.

Background: Workers in industrial battery factories frequently exposed to a hazardous working environment that causes adverse effects on their oral and general health. Aim: The aim of this study is to highlight oral and general health status among battery workers exposed to sulfuric acid-lead fumes and mists in the production site. Cases of deteriorated oral health presented. Subjects and Methods: The sample consisted of 24 participants working in the production site and 15 in the nonproduction line matched in age and employment period, acts as controls. Structural questionnaires on oral and general histories had been completed by interviews. Clinical examinations were carried out to assess dental erosion, oral hygiene, periodontal status using the appropriate indices. The data were statistically analyzed. Results: Questionnaires of workers in the production line revealed that more than two-thirds (67%–86%) of the workers had complaints of teeth sensitivity, dry mouth and nose, disturbed sense of taste, burning/itching eyes, and abdominal distress. They exhibited significantly higher scores of dental erosion, poor oral hygiene, and gingivitis compared with the control group (P

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.

Ocular discomfort (e.g. burning, dry and itching eyes) is among top 2 symptoms in office environments. The ophthalmological explanation is aqueous-deficient dry eye and evaporative dry eye and exposure to allergens, while indoor air pollutants causing chemesthesis generally is the rationale of the indoor environmental community. Review of salient environmental, occupational, and personal risk factors, that alter the precorneal tear film (PTF), reveals at least three mechanisms resulting in ocular discomfort. First, the PTF structure is altered by a physical process that increases the emission rate of aqua loss resulting in hyperosmolarity, gland dysfunctions, and associated discomfort. Second, the structural composition of the outermost lipid layer of the PTF is altered by aggressive aerosols and combustion products, both indoors and outdoors, that facilitate loss of aqua, and possibly chemesthesis. Third, strong sensory irritating pollutants cause chemesthesis by trigeminal stimulation. In general, organic and inorganic indoor air pollutant concentrations are too low causing chemesthesis, but the odor may cause reported discomfort. The total risk of ocular discomfort is exacerbated by physical alteration of the PTF by visual tasking and climate conditions (low humidity, high temperature, and draft); further, personal factors like age, gender and use of certain medication also influence the overall stability of the PTF.

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.

A recent decision of the German Committee on Hazardous Substances (AGS) not to establish an occupational exposure limit for vapors and aerosols emitted by hot mastic asphalt was tied to an industry commitment that all mastic asphalt workers would be intensively screened medically so that technical or personal protection measures can be promptly put in place to reduce occupational exposure. In the meantime, almost 80% of all active mastic asphalt workers in Germany have been examined and questioned about work-associated health complaints. The results of this comprehensive survey of mastic asphalt workers compared to a parallel unexposed control cohort indicate significant irritation of the breathing airways and itching eyes. The survey has furthermore indicated that more individuals from the exposed cohort suffered from health restrictions, as diagnosed by their physicians. The investigation has provided a general view and is considered to be a basis for more detailed examinations.

Sick-building syndrome (SBS) symptoms associated with indoor air volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in new or newly remodeled houses have been increasingly highlighted, and are known as “sick house syndrome” in Japan. In the course of the investigation of SBS patients, we found two sensitive patients who complained of severe symptoms and had elevated serum levels of p-dichlorobenzene and 2-ethyl-1-hexanol. One patient was a housewife, who complained of various symptoms such as headache, itching eyes, nasal irritation, and night sweats and had a high serum level of p-dichlorobenzene (25.4 ng/ml). She showed some improvement of symptoms in association with the gradual decrease in p-dichlorobenzene concentrations in both her bedroom and her serum. The other patient was a female professor who had experienced mainly respiratory symptoms, such as nonproductive cough, throat irritation, etc. when she entered her office, classrooms, and a faculty meeting room in a university building. Her serum 2-ethyl-1-hexanol concentration was 4.6 ng/ml, which was more than 7.7-fold higher than that in four other patients with other onsets. The elevation of her serum 2-ethyl-1-hexanol level was assumed to be due to daily exposure in the university building.

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.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to estimate occupational exposure to wood dust in the furniture industry in a minor industrial estate in Bursa/Turkey. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted between October 2006 and May 2007. In this study, a total of 656 persons, 328 woodworkers and 328 controls were included. A questionnaire was used in the study. Physical examination and the pulmonary function tests (MIR-Spirobank G) of the workers were performed. A portable Aircheck 2000 pump was used to collect the specimens of wood dust from the workplaces. NIOSH Method 0500 was employed for the gravimetric measurements of dust. Results: The average dust concentration at the workplace was 2.04 +/- 1.53 mg/m(3). It was reported that 176 of workers (53.7%) had blocked nose while working, 141 (43.0%) had redness of the eyes, 135 (41.2%) had itching eyes and 78 (23.8%) had runny nose. No symptoms were observed in the control group while they were working at the workplace. The mean FEV1 and FVC values of woodworkers, among both smokers and non smokers, were significantly low, although the FEV1/FVC value was high (p < 0.05). An increase both in FEV1 and FVC values was detected among the woodworkers who had a working period less than 10 years and were exposed to wood dust at concentrations over 4 mg/m(3) compared to the woodworkers who were exposed to wood dust at less than 4 mg/m(3) (p < 0.05). Conclusions: As a result, in this study it was pointed out that the exposure to wood dust adversely influenced the workers respiratory functions. Besides, in this study a question associated with the healthy worker effect that can adversely influence health of workers exposed to wood dust at less than (4 mg/m(3)) is revealed.

This paper reports on analyses of survey data from two public housing developments in Boston, Massachusetts (USA) that house low-income inner-city residents. The two developments differ in that one has had substantial renovations to walls, roofs, piping, heating and water systems while the other has not. In 2002, we collected 238 surveys from the two developments combined, using a questionnaire that recorded self-reports of housing conditions (pest infestation, water leaks, etc), chronic health conditions and symptoms in the preceding month. Because heating and domestic water system replacement at the renovated development occurred between the 2002 survey and a pilot survey we conducted in 1998, we were also able to assess changes in the responses over time. Crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) showed that residents reported worse environmental conditions at the unrenovated development. Only the crude OR for skin rashes was statistically significant and only the adjusted ORs for ear infection, skin rashes and sneezing exceeded 2.0. The longitudinal component of the study also showed changes in environmental factors after renovation, but the evidence was more mixed with both negative and positive trends. Only the crude OR for sneezing was statistically significant and only the adjusted ORs for nosebleeds, sneezing and burning/itching eyes exceeded 2.0. In conclusion, our analysis supports the contention that renovations improve housing conditions and that this may be associated with health improvements, but further research is needed to firmly document any

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.