A New Wave of Eye Disease Diagnosis

With the younger population starting the use of electronic devices quite young, some even at toddler stage, there has been an increase in dry eye disease and other eye health issues.

There is also the increase in electronic device screen time, as such we are seeing children as young as six are suffering from dry eye disease, an excruciating eye condition which usually affects adults, experts have warned.
It is commonly referred to as Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). Some of the common symptoms are eye irritation (dry eyes, itchy eyes, red eyes), blurred vision and headaches.

Digital eyestrain often leads to dry eyes. We believe this is partially to blame due to the increase in the use of technology, and in particular screen time as looking at a screen dramatically reduces blink rate.

Dry eye disease occurs when tears aren’t able to provide adequate lubrication for the eyes If left untreated can be extremely painful with symptoms including gritty, sore, red and sensitive eyes.

Sufferers have compared the feeling to that experienced when chopping onions, with a constant sensation of burning. If left untreated, the condition can cause irreversible damage to some of the tear-producing glands in the eyelids.

Another risk with increase in screen time is that digital devices release blue light, which can reach the inner lining of the back of your eye (retina). Studies show that blue light can damage light-sensitive cells in the retina. This can lead to early age-related macular degeneration, which can lead to loss of eyesight.