Staring At Screens All Day? These Tips To Combat Dry Eyes May Surprise You

In our modern, digital world, it often feels there's no way around screen exposure. So much of our lives are spent in front of our laptops, smartphones, and television screens, and unfortunately, our eyes can struggle because of it. 

First, a little science: The cornea is protected by a tear film that is made up of three layers—the oily layer on the outside, followed by the watery layer, and finally the mucus layer. The tear film's job is to protect and hydrate the eye—and with each blink, the tear film is renewed. 

On average, we blink 15 to 20 times per minute to bring moisture, nutrients, and oxygen to our eyes and clear any debris (e.g., dust, eyelashes). However, when we're concentrating on work, we blink less frequently (and using bright digital screens can decrease that number even further). 

As you can imagine, fewer blinks leads to less-hydrated eyes, which can strain your eyes and make them feel just plain sleepy and uncomfortable. 

Digital technology may be minimizing our eye hydration…but could it help restore moisture as well? Software programs like eyeblink aim to promote healthy, hydrated eyes by using a camera to monitor the screen user's blink rate and remind them to blink as needed. 

Remember those three layers of the tear film we mentioned before? Well, that oily layer needs lipids (aka fatty acids—like omega-3s) to stop the aqueous layer of tears from evaporating.* In other words, upping your omega-3 intake can help replenish and maintain the tear film to protect your eyes.* 

When we think of ergonomics, we often consider our posture, office chair, and overall work setup. But ergonomics is about optimizing every aspect of our work environment so we can be more efficient (and healthier)—including your eye health.