For your eyes only
Hours staring at screens have seen cases of dry eye syndrome rise. LISA SALMON asks for expert help
DO YOUR eyes sometimes feel dry, itchy or gritty, particularly when you’ve been staring at a screen?
You could be one of the millions of people in the UK suffering from dry eye syndrome.
New research estimates up to six out of 10 adults suffer from dry eyes – a condition thought to have increased through the pandemic while people have been spending more time on screens.
“If the problem’s really bad, dry eyes can cause blurry vision from mucous that’s not washed away by tears,” explains consultant ophthalmic surgeon Mr Badrul Hussain, who works at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London.
“Using a screen itself won’t cause dry eyes, but if you’re concentrating on the screen, you don’t blink as frequently, and your tears can evaporate more quickly.”
Optometrist Francesca Marchetti notes: “Dry eye is caused by a lack of lubrication in the eye – either due to staring at a screen for hours without a break, and a lack of blinking, or because the tear glands aren’t working effectively.”
She recommends people who work on screens use the the 20-2020 rule – give eyes a screen break every 20 minutes, look at a distant object (20ft away) for 20 seconds, and then blink for 20 seconds. Both experts say it’s vital to tackle dry eye early, both to treat discomfort with lubricant eye drops, and also to prevent longterm damage.
Here, they explain what causes dry eyes and how to treat them...
What is dry eye syndrome?
Every time we blink, tiny glands in the eyelids release a thin layer of tears made up of three layers
(oily, watery and mucous) to coat the surface of the eye (cornea) and provide it with nutrients.
But if insufficient tears are produced, they’re not of good enough quality or they don’t spread across the eye properly, the eye becomes dry.
Those tiny dry patches will feel uncomfortable and will be irritated each time you blink.
What are the symptoms?
Experts say symptoms, which can occur in one or both eyes, can obviously include a dry feeling in the eye, as well as stinging, redness, feeling like you’ve got grit in your eyes, difficulty wearing contact lenses, blurry vision and even watery eyes, which is the body’s natural response to the irritation.
What causes dry eye?
Dry eyes are caused by many different things, explains Badrul, including certain medical conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or Sjogren’s syndrome (which affects moisture secreted by the body), surgery or eye trauma, infection or inflammation of any of glands around the eye, or an infection of the eyelash roots (blepharitis).
Ageing also makes you more likely to get dry eyes, as Francesca says from middle-age, the body produces less hyaluronic acid, which is important for retaining moisture in the eyes.
Hormonal changes during the menopause and regular use of certain drugs, including antihistamines, antidepressants and diuretics, can also affect the amount of moisture in the eyes, she says.
How do you treat dry eye?
Badrul says most people will be able to make their eye feel more comfortable by regularly putting in lubricating drops, which are available over-thecounter at pharmacies. “If you have any worrying symptoms, or changes in symptoms, along with significant pain, you need to see a GP or an optician,” he says.