Too much screen time is damaging young people's eyes, Montreal optometrist says
Patients as young as 10 are showing symptoms usually found in people in their 50s and 60s
Increasing numbers of young people are being treated for dry eyes — an early warning sign of lifelong disease — and screens may be to blame, according to a Montreal professor of optometry.
Normally, the condition known as marginal dry eye stage is seen in older patients, but now it is showing up in kids and young adults.
The symptoms include occasional feelings of dryness, itchiness, irritation or fatigue. It is a precursor to dry eye syndrome — which, if left untreated, can lead to permanent issues ranging from constant discomfort to vision impairment, warns Dr. Langis Michaud of the Université de Montréal.
"These are the early signs of a disease," Michaud told CBC Montreal's Daybreak Wednesday.
"We see patients at 20 years old with eyes looking like they are 50 or 60."
The symptoms are showing up in patients as young as 10, said Michaud, and tablet, phone and computer screens are most often the cause.
When using these screens, he explained, people blink about five times per minute instead of 15. Playing video games has a similar effect, he said, but watching television is generally safe because the screens are usually further away.
"Blinking is a natural process to spread the tear film over the ocular surface, so the ocular surface doesn't become dry," Michaud said.
Blinking also stimulates glands that produce an oil that prevents that tear film from evaporating.
"If you don't blink enough, these glands will not be stimulated and will just collapse over time and, when they're gone, they're gone forever."
Eye dryness can lead to vision problems, doctor says
Patients in their early 20s are showing a 20 to 30 per cent loss of those glands — something, he says, that will become worse with time. As those patients get older, they will face more serious discomfort, even blindness.
The problem often emerges in people who stare at screens for eight or nine hours a day, he said. Some teens are hitting the four-to-five hour mark daily just with their phones, he added.
Along with the time spent on screens, the distance from the face is also important. Where the average distance between the eyes and a book, for instance, hovers around 40 centimetres, people are often holding their phones half that distance from their face.
"It's very demanding for the visual system, and you can develop eye fatigue on top of that dryness, as well."
Limit screen times, hold phone farther away
While tablets are increasingly used in school settings, Michaud said parents should be controlling screen time at home.
Optometry and psychology associations recommend zero tablets or phones before the age of two, he noted. Children between the ages of two and eight should not be on screens more than an hour a day, with a break after 30 minutes.
"If you add up the two hours, three hours, four hours, plus video games during the weekends, it's a complete disaster for the eyes," Michaud said.
Discomfort wearing contact lenses, dry eyes, a gritty feeling, blurry vision, tired eyes and light sensitivityare all signs of dry eye syndrome.
To limit damage and protect the precious tear film, he said, young people should be getting eye exams early to learn more about the condition and how to prevent it.
Optometrists can provide tools, glasses and exercises to help prepare eyes for regular screen time, he said.
Good lighting when using the screen is important, as well as limiting reflection off the screen. It is also a good idea to ensure you are keeping a safe distance between eyes and device — between 40 and 50 centimetres.
Some screens are adjustable to limit the amount of blue light, which can be harmful in the evening hours, he said.
"Play outside," he said. "Have your kids play outside. Forty-five minutes at least."
With files from CBC Montreal's Daybreak