Why dry eyes cases are spiking because of increasing screen time: Doctors suggest ways to prevent them

An Italian study shows how dry eyes impacted work performance and attendance at social events

4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Mar 12, 2025 09:27 AM IST

Persistent redness of the eyes, a burning and scratchy sensation, sensitivity to light, a pressure on the eye and eye fatigue are symptoms of dry eyes syndrome. (Representational image)

Forty-five-year old Shruti didn’t know that working long hours on her laptop and staying hooked to mobile devices meant she would have to wash her eyes with lukewarm water at suitable intervals and blink for at least 20 seconds. Her eye strain increased despite eye drops and she was eventually diagnosed with Dry Eye Disease (DED), a condition where your eyes cannot produce enough tears to lubricate them or form a protective film.

Persistent redness of the eyes, a burning and scratchy sensation, sensitivity to light, a pressure on the eye and eye fatigue bothered her to such an extent that she landed up at the clinic of Dr Parikshit Gogate, eye surgeon and ophthalmologist at Community Eye Care Foundation, Pune. Now Shruti is on oral eye vitamin supplements and takes care of her ocular hygiene. After she completes a task online, she takes a break, looks upwards to relax the eye muscles, blinks intentionally and drinks some water.

Why patients might not be aware of their dry eyes syndrome

“Shruti is among the many who have dry eye disease because of their over-dependence on visual devices and being cooped up in an air-conditioned environment. They may not even know they have the condition because the symptoms are not as pronounced and often overlap,” says Dr Gogate. Some of these overlapping signs are redness and watery eyes, the second an allergic reaction to dryness. While the eyes may appear watery, these tears lack the necessary components to lubricate the eye surface. This is why a recent multi-centre Italian study says that dry eye disease is still ignored, making treatment difficult.

The study further points out that dry eye disease impacted work performance and attendance at social events.

What causes dry eyes

The reasons for tear film dysfunction are many, including hormone changes, autoimmune disease, inflamed eyelid glands, allergic eye disease, decreased tear production and fast tear evaporation. A deficiency of essential vitamins like A, B12 and D may cause dry eyes.

Dr Gogate adds systemic medicines like drugs against blood pressure, anti-allergic tablets, anxiolytics, hormones, steroids, antidepressants and overuse of eye drops, (their preservatives harm the tear film) can be triggers.

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Dr Jeevan Ladi, eye surgeon and founder of Dada Eye Laser Institute, Pune, says cases are particularly on the rise among young professionals. “Incomplete blinking of the eyes prevents stimulation of oil glands in the eyelids. As a result, the tear film becomes unstable leading to dry eyes,” he says.

How to prevent dry eyes

Eliminate direct high airflow or fans, reduce screen time, take frequent screen breaks and use a humidifier in the room you are in. “Checking the mobile for a long time in the dark can lead to fatigue of the small muscles of the eyes, causing headache and irritability,” Dr Ladi says. A Mayo Clinic advisory says you must position your computer screen below eye level so that you don’t open your eyes as wide. This may help slow the evaporation of your tears between blinks.

What about treatment

Dr Ladi says newer lubricants and cyclosporine eye drops are effective. “We can use local lubricant eye drops, topical ocular lubricants, do eyelid hygiene (warm compresses and lid scrubs) and use nutritional supplements,” Dr Gogate adds. Both doctors assure that if these do not work, there are preservative-free lubricants, tear duct plugs to retain tears and moisture as well as devices that apply controlled warmth and pressure to the eyelids to unblock tear glands. Besides, there are topical inflammatory eye drops.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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