Inconvenient dry eye syndrome is a disease that frequently occurs in modern people, where the use of digital screens is a part of daily life. Let’s take a closer look at dry eye syndrome, which is also a global problem.

Dry eye symptoms are more common in people who use computers or smartphones frequently. In fact, it is said that 90% of the world’s people look at digital screens for 8 hours or more every day.

Normally, I blink once every 5 seconds, but when I look at the screen of a computer or smartphone, I blink less than 5 times, so the tears evaporate quickly and dry my eyes.

There are 345 million people worldwide with dry eye syndrome, but less than half of them have been diagnosed correctly.

Causes of dry eye syndrome

A dry eye is a condition in which there are not enough tears to protect the surface of the eye, and it can be caused by insufficient tear secretion, poor tear quality, or both.

The quality of tears varies depending on the ingredients, and it has a three-layer structure, and the eyelids are also the key part that distributes tears evenly and removes impurities.

Causes of dry eye

Some of the causes of dry eye syndrome include:

• Digital screen use
• Some therapeutic drugs
• Use of contact lenses
• Use of eye drops with preservatives
• Hormonal changes during pregnancy or menopause
• Aging
• Environmental factors such as pollution, heat, and wind
• An unbalanced diet or vitamin deficiency
• Stress

Wearing contact lenses reduces ocular sensitivity, affecting tear secretion response, and contact lens preservation solutions and eye drops may exacerbate dry eye syndrome.

Dry Eye Symptoms

Digital screen use may cause the following symptoms:

• Eye fatigue
• Sensitivity to light from the screen
• Stimulation
• Congestion
• Poor vision

Dry eye syndrome in contact lens wearers may cause the eyes to become sensitive, itchy, blurred vision, redness, and even pain. 

Also, the eyes may feel stiff and the eyelids may feel heavy.

Prevention of dry eyes caused by computer or smartphone use

Here’s how to prevent dry eye symptoms:

• First, adjust the indoor brightness to the brightness and quality of the computer or smartphone screen to avoid straining your eyes.
• Mount a high-quality monitor or filter to control reflections
• Reduce screen time and rest your eyes in between
• Blink your eyes regularly
• Eye exercises such as looking away, looking left and right, and drawing a circle are also essential.
• Sit upright in front of the screen, at an appropriate angle, and take a break every 20 minutes.
• Moisturizes and comforts the eyes with artificial tears

Other management methods

If you wear contact lenses, you should pay attention to hygiene. If you take good care of your lenses, inflammatory diseases such as conjunctivitis do not occur in your eyes.

Always wash your hands thoroughly before and after touching your lenses and do not wear them for too long or fall asleep with them on. Also, wash your eyelids regularly to ensure that no preservatives or phosphates remain.

Use low-viscosity, preservative-free artificial tears that can be added even when wearing contact lenses, and be sure to protect your eyes with sunglasses on a hot day.

Avoid environments with high levels of smoke, dust, or chemicals, and do not use products that bleach your eyes. And if you turn on a humidifier on a regular basis, your eyes will not become stiff.

Finish

Dry eye syndrome is a chronic, controllable condition that can be managed with moisturizing eye drops. 

Talk to your pharmacist or doctor if you are taking any medications that have side effects, such as the dry eye.

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