Dry eye symptoms are often exacerbated by prolonged use of digital devices like computer screens and mobile devices. Blink rate and type of blink change when viewing these types of screens. In general, blink rates reduce significantly – between 3-8 times less! In addition, research shows that rather than perform full, complete blinks, people looking at screens for 30 minutes or more tend to make 2.5 times more incomplete or partial blinks.
Changes to blinks affect the expression of oils released from the meibomian glands. Over time, this leads to blocked glands and can lead to gland loss. When glands become blocked the oils that prevent the evaporation of tears reduce leading to evaporative dry eye. Warm compresses are helpful early on but IPL treatment is recommended for treating meibomian gland related evaporative dry eye.
