Has more home time during Covid-19 meant more screen time for you?
Does your typical day look something like this:
- Wake up and check your cell phone for WhatsApp messages, the weather, the news, your mail, your family’s Facebook posts, goofy celebrity clips on TikTok, and the latest political rants on Twitter.
- Maybe fire up your computer for that remote yoga, HIIT, or Zumba class.
- Later, on hop online to look up recipes to Iron Chef a meal with whatever is in your pantry.
- Do a Zoom session to socialize with friends.
- Binge on that crazy TV show on Netflix.
- Read a novel on your Kindle just before bedtime.
For many of us, becoming more housebound due to the Covid-19 pandemic has meant becoming increasingly dependent on the internet to interact with the outside world. Unfortunately, staring at computer screens for long periods of time can take a toll on your eye health.
At AGEI, in the past year, we’ve been seeing an increase in patients complaining of dry irritable eyes, red itchy eyes, a gritty feeling like having sand in your eye, the onset of mucus (eye goo), episodic blurry vision, eye strain, increased light sensitivity, and eye fatigue – all are classic symptoms of a condition known as dry eye disease. And it’s important to not ignore these symptoms because they will only get worse if not addressed.
“There’s no doubt that our digital lifestyle has played a role in the frequency of dry eye problems we’ve seen in recent years, but since the start of the pandemic, we’ve noticed that the number of dry eye patients we’re seeing has been on the rise,” says Dr. Kerry Assil, founder of Assil Gaur Eye Institute. “We counsel our patients to monitor their daily screen time and to take breaks to give their eyes a rest.”
What is dry eye disease?
Dry eye disease (also known as dry eye syndrome) is a common condition in which you either don’t produce enough tears or the composition of your tears causes them to evaporate too quickly to give your eyes adequate lubrication. Over 16 million people in the United States are affected by dry eye, and it’s more common among women. Your chances of developing dry eye also increase with age.
Having a healthy tear film is important to your eye health because your tears lubricate and protect your cornea (the clear part of your eye) from infection. Tears also eliminate debris from your eye and create a smooth surface coating that allows light to be properly focused into your eye, allowing you to see clearly.
While at first, dry eye symptoms may seem like more of an inconvenience and not such a big deal, if left untreated, dry eye can eventually result in corneal scarring and permanent damage to your eye resulting in vision loss. While most dry eye is not vision-threatening, that’s no reason to blow off dry eye symptoms until they get to the point that they affect your daily life.
What causes dry eye?
There’s no single cause of dry eye because there are a number of factors that can lead to decreased tear production. One of the main culprits is aging; your body produces fewer tears as you age. In fact, 75% of people over 65 have dry eye. Wearers of contact lenses tend to suffer more from dry eye, as do folks with allergies. Certain medications and medical conditions can lead to dry eye.
Also, as many folks have learned recently, spending too much time on a smartphone or sitting in front of a computer can induce dry eye symptoms. That’s because your normal blinking frequency is reduced when you stare at screens. And a lower blink rate means quicker evaporation of the tear film on the surface of your eye.
Then there is a subset of dry eye disease known as “evaporative dry eye.” In this condition, clogged oil glands in the eyelids (known as Meibomian glands) decrease quality tear production. The oil glands add oil to your tears to keep them from evaporating too quickly. When these Meibomian glands get blocked they can lead to painful styes.
Environmental factors can also contribute to dry eye. Dry or windy conditions evaporate tears and dry out the eyes. Also, some patients recovering from LASIK surgery may experience temporary dry eye symptoms.
How to treat dry eye?
Luckily, there are a number of treatment options for dry eye, depending on the type and severity of your symptoms. Our eye doctors have found that there is no single best treatment for dry eyes because each patient responds differently to treatment. In fact, the eye care specialists in our Los Angeles practice say that it’s not unusual for a patient to require a combination of treatment modalities to successfully manage their symptoms.
Dry eye treatments range from:
- over-the-counter lubricating eye drops and artificial tears
- medication for dry eyes including anti-inflammatory eye drops (like Restasis or Xiidra) and antibiotic drops
- lubricating ointments that you apply at bedtime
- eyelid hygiene regimens and warm compresses to stimulate oil production
- eye friendly dietary supplements like Omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil and flaxseed
- minimally invasive office procedures such as intense pulsed light therapy (DELIT), removal of scruff and bacterial debris from the eyelid rim and eyelashes (BlephExTM), and massaging of the Meibomian glands to stimulate oil production
Of course, we always recommend that our patients track the number of hours per day they’re using screen devices and try to limit their smartphone and computer use to reduce not only their dry eye symptoms but also digital eye strain and blue light exposure before bedtime
Learn more about DELIT intense pulsed light therapy and BlephExTM for dry eyes.
Don’t ignore your dry eye symptoms!
“I wish that patients would give their eye health the same degree of attention that they do to other aspects of their health,” says Dr. Avneet Sodhi Gaur of Assil Gaur Eye Institute. “So many of the dry eye patients that we see have been suffering unnecessarily for months, if not years, from a condition that is very treatable. And every so often, we see some serious corneal damage that could have been prevented with early intervention.”
AGEI optometrist Dr. John May concurs, “If I could give my patients one piece of advice, it would be to not put off getting an eye exam if they’re experiencing new problems with their eyes. So many eye conditions can be easily addressed if caught early.”
AGEI: dry eye expertise serving greater Los Angeles
The eye care professional team of ophthalmologists and optometrists at AGEI offers world-class eye care treating dry eye conditions, cataracts, glaucoma, and a wide variety of cornea and retinal conditions, to name a few. At AGEI, you will experience a state-of-the-art health care facility that brings together revolutionary technologies with experienced vision care professionals. Our goal is to help you achieve your personal best vision.
Please call 866-945-2745 or visit us here to make an appointment online. If you are experiencing any concerning symptoms, contact us to determine the best time to schedule an exam.
At Assil Eve Institute we take our patients’ safety seriously. Our facility’s Covid-19 patient safety procedures exceed all CDC recommendations. Masks are required in our institutes at all times.
We are conveniently located for patients throughout Southern California and the Los Angeles area at locations in or near Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, West Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Culver City, Hollywood, Venice, Marina del Rey, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, and Downtown Los Angeles.
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