Mobile phones, computers, televisions - it is hard to avoid using electronic screens these days. Eye problems caused by staring at screens for long periods of time are also common. Dry eye is a very typical eye condition.

What is dry eyes?

Dry eye is not just a lack of water. The surface of our eyeballs is covered by a tear film that protects our eyes and helps us to see clearly. The presence of dry eye means that the tear film is incomplete - there is a lack of tears or the nutrients in the tears are not plentiful enough. As a result, the most noticeable symptom of the loss of tear protection is dry eyes. Eye fatigue, foreign body sensation, burning, eye pain and photophobia are also symptoms that often plague dry eye sufferers. The eye discomfort associated with dry eye can also affect the quality of our sleep, and studies have shown that this can lead to anxiety and depression. Worse still, if left untreated, dry eye can lead not only to vision loss but also to corneal disease.

How does dry eye disease start? What can we do about it?

• Staring at the screen for a long time. The main way we rehydrate our eyeballs is by blinking. When we stare intently at an electronic screen, we often blink less unconsciously. Over time, the eyes become dehydrated. At the same time, the use of computers and mobile phones is a close eye behaviour, prolonged use will put the eyes under great pressure. The blue light emitted by electronic screens also increases the pressure on the eyes.

Suggestion: Consciously blink when using electronic devices to refresh your eyes. Reduce the total amount of time you spend using electronic screens. Take a break from screens every twenty minutes. Wear glasses that block blue light.

• Wear corneal lenses regularly. Studies have shown that prolonged wear of corneal lenses can lead to a thinning of the tear film, which blocks the reflexes of the sensory nerves, resulting in less blinking and dry eye. At the same time, poor hygiene when wearing lenses can also lead to dry eye.

Suggestion: Keep your hands clean when wearing corneal lenses. Reduce the use of corneal lenses and choose frames.

• Long-term occasional use of eye drops. Some eye drops contain preservatives that can cause damage to the cornea and conjunctiva if used for a long time. At the same time, because the tear film consists of three parts, we cannot determine which of the components is causing the lack of dry eye, so we cannot find the right eye drops.

Suggestion: Choose eye drops without preservatives. Seek medical help immediately after the onset of dry eye to find out which ingredient is lacking.

Wearing the right eyewear helps relieve eye pressure and keep your eyes healthy. Eyecedar offers quality and fashionable eyewear: reading glasses, prescription glasses, blue light blocking glasses, and more. Browse our website to find the glasses that will help you keep your eyes healthy and stylish!