The ubiquity of screens is one of the greatest challenges to our peepers. Fortunately, the symptoms can often be remedied
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.”
