Are our eyes getting drier? It’s hard to say. Certainly, no end of things in our coddled lives might lead to sore, itchy eyes – everything from air-conditioning to excess screen time can dry them out – but it’s possible that we are simply more aware of issues related to dry eyes than ever before (and paranoid about our Netflix addictions). Is it something you should be concerned about – and could it lead to, or be a symptom of, something worse? Have a nice, long blink before you read on: you will be glad you did.
“Dry eyes occur for two main reasons – your eyes don’t make enough tears, or your tears evaporate too quickly,” says Denise Voon, a clinical adviser at the College of Optometrists. “It’s a condition more common in women and in people over 65, because as you age your eyelids become less effective at spreading your tears across your eyes when you blink. Also, the meibomian glands in your eyelids, which produce the oily part of your tears, become less effective and may become blocked.”
For women, hormonal issues play a major role: oral contraceptives, the menopause and changes in oestrogen levels can all exacerbate dry eyes.
The obvious question, then, is: are modern lifestyles exacerbating this process among younger people? The answer seems to be: probably. “Dry eyes are fairly strongly associated with screen time, certainly with younger age groups,” says Prof James Wolffsohn, who has led much of the recent research on the subject. “What we know is that when people stare at screens they don’t blink as much. Not only is your blink mechanism responsible for spreading tears across the optical surface, but it’s also responsible for controlling the valves that let tears out. So regular blinking is absolutely crucial for the mechanisms behind keeping healthy eyes.”
Spending time in smoky or air-conditioned environments can also cause problems, for obvious reasons. If you still haven’t done so since you started reading this article, have a nice long blink: one or two seconds should do the trick.
Done? OK, let’s talk about how worried you should be. “Although having dry eyes can be unpleasant, it’s generally not serious,” says Voon. “If you’re concerned about your eyes, though, you should always contact an optometrist for advice, as you have a number of options, depending on the cause.
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“If dry eye is caused by your eyes not producing enough tears, you can use eye lubricants available as drops, gels or ointment. If your tears are evaporating too quickly, you can use a spray that you apply to your closed eyelids, which replenishes the oily layer of your tears and stops them evaporating as quickly.” There are also drops formulated to replenish the oily layer of the tear film that reduces evaporation; the drops and the spray are available without prescription from an optometrist or pharmacist.
Voon adds: “If you have blepharitis, which can cause swollen, itchy eyelids, you can treat it by keeping your eyelids clean and using warm compresses on your eyelids, to help unblock the glands that produce the oily part of your tears.” Thinking about blinking after reading all that? Treat yourself, you have earned it.
What about prevention? “In terms of supplements and other interventions, the only thing that we’ve proved is beneficial is omega-3 supplementation,” says Wolffsohn. “The things we know definitely don’t work are taking antioxidants and using blue-light filters – on the evidence we have, they don’t do anything to protect against eye strain when viewing digital devices.” Wolfsson’s team has been working on an app, MyDryEye, that tracks symptoms and suggest solutions; it will be released next month.
Other fixes depend on the cause. For excess screen time, many optometrists recommend the 20/20/20 rule: taking a break of at least 20 seconds every 20 minutes by looking at something at least 20ft (6 metres) from the screen in question. You can also use “blink exercises” – basically, enforced, elongated blinks – to “retrain” your blinking muscles.
You should do these several times in a row, four or five times a day. So, if you have been following along as you read this, you are already well on the way. Have another blink before you read anything else: your eyes will thank you.
