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.
