New York
Changes in the composition of tears are caused by visual fatigue caused by the constant use of screens, making modern people more at risk of dry eyes than previous generations, claim Japanese researchers.
According to data published in the scientific journal JAMA Ophthalmology, a scientific team from the Department of Ophthalmology at Keio University, led by Dr. Yuichi Uchino, analyzed tear samples from 96 office workers and found that those who spent long hours in front of a screen showed changes in the level of the mucin MUC5AC, which is observed when someone has dry eyes.
This protein is part of the normal mucus or “tear film” that keeps the eye moist. When the MUC5AC protein is damaged or altered, not enough tears are produced and the eye “drys out,” resulting in dry eye.
The study found that people who work in front of a screen for more than seven hours a day have less MUC5AC protein (5.9 ng/mg) than those who look at a screen for less than five hours a day (9.6 ng/mg). People with dry eyes have an average of 3.5 ng/mg of this protein in their tears, while in a normal eye its amount reaches 8.2 ng/mg.
As Dr. Uchino explains, people who stare at a screen tend to open their eyelids more than during other activities, leaving a larger surface area of the eye exposed. This, combined with the less frequent blinking of the eyes when looking at a screen (compared to, for example, reading), results in faster tear evaporation and dry eyes.
To reduce the risk of dry eyes, researchers advise workers to take some simple precautions, such as placing their computer screens at a lower height and slightly tilted up so that they don't have to open their eyes as much when looking at them. They also recommend using a humidifier in the room, and making sure that air conditioning doesn't blow directly on them.
Source: tech.in.gr
