Your teenagers are at risk from dry eye too – parents beware
There seems to be little doubt that dry eye disease in on the increase. Dry eye is one of the most common ocular complaints people seek professional advice about and affects an estimated 1 in 3 people in the UK. The reasons that a continued escalation in the number of dry eye sufferers is predicted is because of its link to an aging population along with environmental facts such as more air conditioning, central heating and screen time.
This growing incidence of dry eye is seen in all age ranges – including children and teenagers. The reason why it is especially concerning in younger people is because it is a progressive condition which, if left untreated, can result in permanent ocular surface damage. If symptoms start in your teenage years by the time you get to adulthood we could have a big problem!
A 2024 research review looked into the problem of dry eye disease in the young and reported a growing problem. The Dry Eye Zone think you need to know more about teenagers and the risk of dry eye:
What is dry eye?
Put simply dry eye is a condition in which the quantity or quality of your natural tears becomes compromised. Your tears are there to lubricate, protect and nourish your eyes (among other things). If you are suffering from dry eye your tears become saltier, more concentrated, which triggers an inflammatory response.
How common is dry eye in young people?
The study reviewed over 50 different publications which reported an incidence of dry eye in children ranging from 5.5% to 23.1%. Dry eye is traditionally liked with an older and female demographic, but there is evidence it is now growing in the teenagers.
Why be concerned?
Dry eye symptoms can range from mild, occasional sensations of dry, tired, irritated or red eyes to more frequent severe symptoms which can have a negative impact on the overall quality of life. Unlike other eye conditions it cannot be cured, only managed through a treatment routine. If left unmanaged it may progress to the point where permanent damage occurs to the surface of the eye and loss of vision quality.
More advance dry eye can also make it more difficult to wear contact lenses and may make someone unsuitable for vision correcting laser eye surgery.
What is causing dry eye in the young?
It is expected to see an increase in dry eye as you age – but in the young it is not usually so prevalent. The reasons for dry eye disease starting in the teenagers and younger are primarily environmental and life style. Top of the list is the use of digital devices such as tablets, phones and computers and the extended time being spent looking at devices.
Other contributory factors include outdoor time, urban living, ocular allergies such as hay fever, and other conditions with a link to dry eye such as acne treatment or diabetes. Youngsters (3-14) with diabetes who took part in a 3 year trial showed a 22% incidence of dry eye at the final follow-up.
As a parent what should you be looking for?
You might notice your teenager’s eyes looking red, watery or tired. They might also complain of their eyes being sore or itchy, also lots of eye rubbing might indicate some level of dry eye irritation too. If you do identify dry eye symptoms them make sure to tell your eye care professional about them, you do not need to wait for your next routine eye examination because practitioners with a special interest in dry eye usually have dedicated dry eye appointments.
A special note about eye rubbing
It should be pointed out that excessive eye rubbing can cause problems of its own and it is a habit that needs breaking. A published review linked eye rubbing with a condition called keratoconus. Keratoconus is a thinning of the cornea which then becomes weakened, and changes its shape from a symmetrical curve to an irregular cone. This can significantly impact vision and is another reason why it is important to get advice to protect the future ocular health of your teenager(s).
What action should you take?
The good news is there is lots that can be done!
The most important thing is to get some professional advice - make that call today.
Your teenager will most likely be recommended a dry eye care routine to help halt the progression of the disease and relieve the symptoms. In the meantime, there are things you can do straight away to help ease the problem:
1. Explain what dry eye is and how it needs to be controlled
2. Agree to limit screen time (a study found that 3+ hours was linked to a significant increase in dry eye)
3. When using a screen get them to adopt the 20-20-20 rule (it’s exercise 4 here) and adopt blink exercises
4. Get some good quality dry eye drops
You can learn more about all things dry eye related at the DRY EYE ZONE. Don’t forget to subscribe to the regular free information and research updates.
If you are experiencing dry eye symptoms then you should ask the advice of your eye care professional. Why not book your next eye examination with an independent optician today.
Sources:
Vidal-Rohr M, Craig JP, Davies LN, Wolffsohn JS. The epidemiology of dry eye disease in the UK: The Aston dry eye study. Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 2023 Jun;46(3):101837. doi: 10.1016/j.clae.2023.101837. Epub 2023 Mar 30. PMID: 37003925.
Fiona Stapleton, Federico G. Velez, Charis Lau, James S. Wolffsohn, Dry eye disease in the young: A narrative review, The Ocular Surface, Volume 31, 2024, Pages 11-20, ISSN 1542-0124, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtos.2023.12.001.
Ayaki M, Kawashima M, Uchino M, Tsubota K, Negishi K. Gender differences in adolescent dry eye disease: a health problem in girls. Int J Ophthalmol. 2018 Feb 18;11(2):301-307. doi: 10.18240/ijo.2018.02.20. PMID: 29487823; PMCID: PMC5824088.
Marlyanti Nurrahmah Akib, Suryana Rannu Pirade, Siti Rukiah Syawal, Muhammad Miftah Fauzan, Hasnah Eka, Arifin Seweng, Association between prolonged use of smartphone and the incidence of dry eye among junior high school students, Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health, Volume 11, 2021, 100761, ISSN 2213-3984,
Chen Z, Xiao Y, Qian Y, Lin Q, Xiang Z, Cui L, Sun J, Li S, Qin X, Yang C, Zou H. Incidence and Risk Factors of Dry Eye in Children and Adolescents With Diabetes Mellitus: A 3-Year Follow-Up Study. Front Med (Lausanne). 2021 Nov 29;8:760006. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2021.760006. PMID: 34912822; PMCID: PMC8666567.
Najmi H, Mobarki Y, Mania K, Altowairqi B, Basehi M, Mahfouz MS, Elmahdy M. The correlation between keratoconus and eye rubbing: a review. Int J Ophthalmol. 2019 Nov 18;12(11):1775-1781. doi: 10.18240/ijo.2019.11.17. PMID: 31741868; PMCID: PMC6848869.
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