By Graham R. Stetson, OD, MS

Between computers, smartphones, and TVs, excessive screen time has become a major part of our lives, but it brings along significant discomfort for our eyes. This discomfort stems from dry eye and, to some extent, eye strain. Unfortunately, these symptoms are frequently misattributed to other causes, leading to ineffective treatments and ongoing discomfort.

Despite the name, dry eye does not always make your eyes feel dry. Instead, it can manifest as burning, itching, redness, excessive tearing, a foreign object sensation, or fluctuating vision quality. Sometimes, these symptoms lead people to mistakenly believe they have allergies.

Prolonged screen use, close-up tasks, and contact lens wear are the primary culprits behind dry eye. These activities decrease our blink rate by 35-50%. Contact lenses exacerbate this by further reducing blink frequency. Moreover, screens, close work, and contact lenses weaken our blinks, occasionally causing our eyelids not to close fully during a blink.

Insufficient and weak blinking results in inadequate oil secretion from tiny glands in our eyelids. This oil plays several crucial roles, including preventing tears from evaporating, maintaining clear vision, lubricating our eyes and eyelids, and safeguarding our eyes from allergens. When not used correctly, these oil glands produce abnormal oils and become clogged. Without this oil, everything on the eye's surface goes awry, leading to the symptoms mentioned earlier. Dysfunctional oil glands also give rise to eyelid and lash inflammation, which can further affect the eye's surface.

People often ask if eye drops or medications can cure dry eye. While they can provide temporary relief and reduce inflammation, these treatments merely alleviate symptoms and do not address the root causes. Relying on these treatments allows the underlying causes of dry eye to worsen.

The most effective way to treat dry eye is by rehabilitating the oil glands in the eyelids, addressing inflammation from the eyelids and lashes, and retraining blink patterns. While discussing all of these methods exceeds the scope of this article, one practical tip I can provide is the "20/20/20+ Rule": For every 20 minutes of screen time or close work, take a 20-second break, gaze at something 20 feet away, and blink forcefully five times during the break.

For more advice on dry eye treatment or to schedule a comprehensive eye exam, visit the Modern Eyes website moderneyesnorwood.com, call 781-352-4849, or stop by our location at 696 Washington Street, Norwood.

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