New Delhi: Excessive use of mobile phones, laptops and other digital screens is silently triggering a surge in Dry Eye Disease (DED) across India, with doctors warning that children and young adults are increasingly falling victim to the lifestyle-linked eye disorder.
Once considered a problem associated mainly with old age, DED is now rapidly emerging among the 21-40 age group due to prolonged screen exposure, reduced blinking, air-conditioned environments and rising pollution levels. Experts warn that if current trends continue, nearly 45 per cent of Indians could suffer from Dry Eye Disease by 2030.
Dry Eye Disease occurs when the eyes either fail to produce enough quality tears or when tears evaporate too quickly, damaging the eye’s natural lubrication system. Patients often complain of burning sensation, itching, redness, gritty feeling, blurred vision, light sensitivity and excessive watering of the eyes.
While most existing treatments rely on artificial tears and lubricating eye drops that offer temporary relief, doctors at AIIMS Delhi’s RP Centre have reported encouraging results from an innovative clinical trial involving lactoferrin — a protein naturally found in human tears, saliva and breast milk.
The study, led by Dr Namrata Sharma and Dr Sujata Sharma, was conducted on 200 patients suffering from Dry Eye Disease. Patients were administered 250 mg lactoferrin tablets twice daily for one month and were monitored for six months afterward.
According to doctors associated with the trial, patients showed significant improvement in symptoms including dryness, irritation, itching, burning sensation and blurred vision. Researchers say lactoferrin’s anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties may help restore tear film stability and improve overall eye surface health.
“People with Dry Eye Disease are often found to have lower levels of lactoferrin in their tears. The early results of the trial are highly encouraging,” sources associated with the research said.
The medicine used in the study has been produced in Japan, while the clinical trial was carried out at AIIMS RP Centre in Delhi. The trial is currently in its final stages, though regulatory approvals and other formalities are expected to take another one-and-a-half years before the treatment becomes commercially available.
Doctors explained that tears are not just water but a complex mixture of water, oil and mucus that protects the eye surface, clears dust particles and maintains clear vision. However, prolonged screen use reduces blinking frequency, leading to faster evaporation of tears and inflammation of the eye surface.
Medical experts say the growing dependence on smartphones, computers and tablets is changing the age profile of Dry Eye Disease in India. Studies from across the country have reported prevalence rates ranging between 15 and 36 per cent depending on lifestyle and diagnostic criteria.
A 2023 tertiary-care study from Haryana found Dry Eye Disease prevalence at 26.1 per cent, with the highest burden seen in the 18-40 age group and a higher incidence among women. Other studies among diabetic patients have shown prevalence rates touching 36 per cent.
Experts attribute the rise to increasing screen time, urban lifestyles, air pollution, diabetes, hypertension, post-surgery eye complications and extensive use of air conditioning. Eye specialists warn that without lifestyle changes and early intervention, Dry Eye Disease could soon become one of the country’s biggest causes of eye discomfort and vision-related clinic visits.
(Cover Representative Image: CANVA)
