Working from home is making my eyes sore and dry

Q

MY EYES don’t just look tired from working from home, staring at a screen all day, they feel dry and gritty despite them getting watery. Is this an age thing (I’m 61) — and how do I solve it?

A

THIS sounds like classic Dry Eye Syndrome. It’s associated with staring at digital screens and not blinking enough (so make a point of doing the latter), but it can also develop with age.

Every time we blink, our eyelids spread our tears across the surface of our eye to form a film, and it’s this film that keeps our eyes hydrated. Dry Eye Syndrome can be caused by decreased tear production, or blockages in the tiny glands in the eyelids that produce the essential oils that form the top part of the tear film.

Try the clever Peep Club Eye Wand (£60, peepclub.co.uk), designed to tackle both dry eyes and ageing eye skin. It gently vibrates and emits 45c heat as you move it around your lids, stimulating the glands and liquefying the oils. It also emits red LED light, known to stimulate collagen production in the skin, while the massage action helps drain puffiness. Works a treat.

Also, says oculoplastic surgeon Sabrina Shah-Desai, eat plenty of oily fish, eggs, dark leafy greens and orange veg and f ruits: omega- 3 f atty acids and vitamin A are key f or keeping dry eyes at bay. Taking a daily fish oil supplement made a massive difference for me; I also rate Together Health Eye Defence s upplement (£15.99, boots.com).