Defeating Dry Eye: Walkthrough

(I-MED Pharma)

Hey gamers, didn’t see that sniper lurking across the map? Maybe it’s because you’ve got dry eyes! Next time, manage those dry eye symptoms and protect those in-game stats with the help of I-MED Pharma to experience a better and more comfortable gaming experience.

Initiating Dry Eye

Let’s face it, staring at a screen is a risk factor for dry eye disease.^[1] Dry eyes can have a huge impact on many areas of our day-to-day life, affecting our productivity at work or school, harming the state of our mental and physical health, and even getting in the way of our favourite pastimes, such as video gaming. Because common dry eye symptoms include blurred vision, watery, red, itchy, or irritated eyes, and light sensitivity, these discomforting ocular symptoms may affect how many in-game hours that you can put in. Let’s look at how video gaming is linked to dry eyes and what can be done to manage and treat discomforting ocular symptoms so you can get back to completing those in-game quests and ultimately defeat that final boss.

The Screen vs. Your Tears

The tear film is a complex fluid with specific rheological properties, flowing differently depending on whether the eyes are open or closed, or during blinking. The tear film covers the surface of the eyes so they are kept moist and protected from dust, debris, and microorganisms. While the tear film is composed of three layers (mucin, aqueous, and lipid), issues with the glands that produce the components of the tear film can cause an imbalance in the layers, resulting in an unstable or inadequate tear film.

The Meibomian glands, found in the eyelids, are an important contributor to the tear film. These glands secrete meibum, which is the lipid component of the tear film, that helps to stabilize tears from evaporating too quickly which leaves the ocular surface exposed. Chronic abnormalities affecting these glands’ secretions, such as duct obstruction or qualitative/quantitative changes in the glandular secretion, is referred to as Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD).^[2] Staring at screens, especially for long periods of time (for example, when slaying the World-Eater Alduin at Sovngarde to determine the very fate of Skyrim) is associated with a decreased blink rate in both adults and children,^[3] and the accompanying ocular symptoms from this “repetitive strain disorder” is often referred to as computer vision syndrome.^[4] The ocular symptoms associated with sustained attention to a screen, or computer vision syndrome, is similar to dry eye disease symptoms and includes eyestrain or fatigue, blurred vision, eye redness and irritation, and dryness.

There is a significant correlation between the severity of dry eye symptoms and ocular discomfort and the amount of time spent staring at screens (video display terminals),^[5] a factor which might either contribute to the development of MGD or might exacerbate pre-existing MGD symptoms.^[2] As explained in this blog post on screen usage and dry eye, it is important to take regular breaks away from screens and to try and follow the 20-20-20 rule which states, “every 20 minutes, stare at an object at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds” (yes, even while trying to master Gwent in The Witcher 3).

Dry Eye’s End

Schedule an appointment with an eye care professional to discuss your dry eye symptoms and ask for I-MED Pharma products by name to get the best solutions for managing and treating dry eye disease and computer vision syndrome. For the player looking to limit the adverse effects on the eyes of too much screen time, ask about our line of viscoadaptive, preservative-free artificial tears, which includes I-DROP^® PUR for mild to moderate dry eyes, which is also contact lens compatible, I-DROP^® PUR GEL for moderate to severe dry eye, and our premium, most innovative artificial tear, I-DROP^® MGD, for unmatched hydration and lubrication.

If you’re looking to level-up your dry eye routine, look for our I-LID ’N LASH^® line of ocular  hygiene cleansers, which not only cleanses and hydrates your eyes (which is important to help break the cycle of dry eye), but also enhances the effectiveness of artificial tears.

For those looking to collect them all, take a look at our hot & cold therapeutic mask (for relief of symptoms associated with blepharitis, MGD, headaches, sinus pressure and tension), our night-time ointment (to protect and hydrate your eyes while you sleep), and our nutritional supplements to relieve your dry eye symptoms systemically while also benefiting your overall health. Having a good, at-home management routine will help relieve discomforting ocular symptoms so you can tackle any quest that may come your (or your favourite character’s) way.

Reward

I-MED Pharma has many high-quality dry eye management and treatment options for your gaming or screen-use needs. That way, instead of being stuck on guard duty recounting tales of your glorious adventuring days to every passing traveller (because you took an arrow to the knee, of course), you can be out discovering every hidden quest and completing every complex storyline in comfort and relief with our high-quality dry eye and OSD products.

[1] Craig, Jennifer P, J. Daniel Nelson, Dimitri T Azar, Carlos Belmonte, Anthony J Bron, Sunil K Chauhan, Cintia S de Paiva, et al. 2017. “TFOS DEWS II Report Executive Summary.” The Ocular Surface 15 (4): 802–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtos.2017.08.003.

[2] Nelson, J Daniel, Jun Shimazaki, Jose M Benitez-del-Castillo, Jennifer P Craig, James P McCulley, Seika Den, and Gary N Foulks. 2011. “The International Workshop on Meibomian Gland Dysfunction: Report of the Definition and Classification Subcommittee.” Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 52 (4): 1930–37. https://doi.org/10.1167/iovs.10-6997b.

[3] Chidi-Egboka, N.C., Jalbert, I. & Golebiowski, B. “Smartphone gaming induces dry eye symptoms and reduces blinking in school-aged children.” Eye (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-022-02122-2

[4] Schaumberg, Debra A, Jason J Nichols, Eric B Papas, Louis Tong, Miki Uchino, and Kelly K Nichols. 2011. “The International Workshop on Meibomian Gland Dysfunction: Report of the Subcommittee on the Epidemiology of, and Associated Risk Factors for, MGD.” Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 52 (4): 1994–2005. https://doi.org/10.1167/iovs.10-6997e.

[5] Fenga, C., P Aragona, A Cacciola, R Spinella, C Di Nola, F Ferreri, and L Rania. “Meibomian gland dysfunction and ocular discomfort in video display terminal workers.” Eye 22: 91–95 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.eye.6703025.