Your tears do more than express your joys and sorrows; they’re essential to the health of your eyes. Without them, eyes become dry, itchy and irritated. What’s worse, over time, your vision can even pay a price. And yet research suggests nearly 16 million people in the U.S. are living with dry eye disease (DED).
Although DED has multiple causes, a big culprit may be the ever-increasing hours spent staring at computers, smartphones, tablets and TVs. Research shows a direct connection between excessive screen time and reduced blinking. Why is that such a big deal? Each time you blink, the tiny meibomian glands in your eyelids secrete an oily substance (meibum) that constitutes one of the layers of the tear film , which covers and protects your cornea, the outer layer of your eye. As tears are lubricated, they help create a smooth surface over the eye, aiding in focusing clear images. Reduced blinking can cause a defective tear film, leading to dry eyes.
For National Dry Eye Awareness Month , we’re taking a close-up look at DED, particularly meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), and how Johnson & Johnson is helping to treat the millions living with this common, yet complex condition.
