Children as young as six suffering from dry eye disease

Too much time in front of screens are causing eye disease in children as young as six years of age

Dry eye disease normally affects 50-60 year olds and occurs when tears aren’t able to provide adequate lubrication for the eyes and has been compared to that experienced when chopping onions.

In the UK, Sarah Farrant, an optometrist and dry eye specialist, said she has started seeing primary-aged children turn up to her practice: “'When I started up my clinic 15 years ago there was not a single child who turned up with the condition,' she said. 

Looking at a screen dramatically reduces blink rate.

Dr Matthew Olsen, from Thea Pharmaceuticals, which creates products to help treat dry eye, said the disease has been shown to have a 'huge impact' on quality of life. 'We need to raise awareness of the importance of looking after our eyes amongst all age groups,' he said.

- CyberBeat