Published on March 17, 2022
The constant staring at screens, which is an inevitable part of our lives, predisposes to drying of the eye surface. The most obvious way to prevent dry eyes is to reduce screen time, which is a lot easier said than done. Below are a few precautions that could prevent dry eyes while using devices.
Blinking Frequency
Blinking tends to be less frequent while staring at a screen. As a result, the eye surfaces are exposed for a longer time and tend to dry. Short breaks with conscious blinking and looking at a distance could reduce the dryness.
Choice of Device
Most desktop screens are at a horizontal level to the eyes, due to which the eyes remain wide open. The eye opening is narrower while using laptops and tablets since the gaze is downwards and therefore the eyes are less exposed to drying.
Exposure to Airflow
The eyes tend to dry less if the environment is cool and moist. Air conditioners and heating vents tend to dry up the eye surfaces. If unavoidable, the chair or bed should be placed away from the direct path of air.
Eyelid Hygiene
The eyelids secrete a layer of the tears that spreads over the eye sprevent the tears from drying. Therefore, the eyelids should be kept clean through warm compresses to ensure that the glands function properly. The intake of essential fatty acids though food could also help to improve the secretion of these glands and keep the surface of the eyes moist.
Reference:
Golden MI, Meyer JJ, Patel BC. Dry Eye Syndrome. [Updated 2021 Nov 2]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470411/ Available under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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