Excessive screen time causing dry eye problems in kids, experts warn

After Covid lockdown, screen time for an individual has increased, especially for children, as they were attending their classes through phones and laptops.

Recently, experts have cautioned that this increased screen time has caused children as young as six to have excruciating eye conditions, or in simple words, red eyes that generally affect adults.

The eye condition generally affects a person in his or her 50s or 60s. If this is ignored or not treated well, it can cause gritty, itchy, red, sensitive eyes and many more uncomfortable yet painful symptoms. As per experts, some of the tear-producing glands in the eyelids may suffer irreparable damage if the problem is not treated.

When asked about how it actually feels, the majority of people have described it as a sensation that feels like when you slice onions.

According to a specialist Sarah Farrant, an optometrist and dry eye specialist said that now many primary-aged children are visiting her for the eye problem.

She attributed the cause to the increased screen time because it leads to slower blinking.

Sarah, further referring to the situation when she opened her clinic, said that there weren't any children visiting her, but now the situation is different. She said that in the last five or six years, young children have often visited her. The youngest patient she attended was a six-year-old girl.

According to a dry eye expert, Dr. Matthew Olsen, dry eye disease has been considered to have a major effect on the quality of one's life, so it is very important for all age groups to be more aware of the value of taking good care of their eyes, as it is something that cannot be reversed if the damage is done.