By: Azhar Azam
Scientists at Aston University have developed an app that can help health professionals to detect dry eye syndrome (DES) – a chronic and incurable eye disease which can lead to regular use of artificial tear drops to keep the eyes lubricated.
The app developed by researchers from Aston University in collaboration with UK industry, can be rolled out across GP surgeries, pharmacies, and can also be used at home.
Dry Eye disease prevails in about 40 million people worldwide and with the widespread use of smartphones and other computing devices; the disease is estimated to grow exponentially in next 10-15 years.
Traditionally considered to be an old people’s disease, DES has affected the children frenziedly over the past few years due to excessive use of screens – which makes them to blink less and increases the rate of tears evaporation.
Smartphones have smaller screens so the short watching distances quickly tire the eyes of the children while such ‘starring-screen’ activities can negatively affect the vision and school performance of the children.
Professor James Wolfsohn of Aston University emphasized the need to do more to understand the health implications of children glued to smartphones, tablets, and game consoles for hours at a time.
An eyelid travels the length of a football pitch to keep the eyes moist. With every blink, healthy eyes spread lubricating tears across the surface of the cornea – nourishing cells and providing a thin layer of protections against the environment, irritants, and bugs.
Dry eyes disease occurs when eyes do not produce enough tears or when tears evaporate too quickly from the surface. The condition can result in vision impairment, and sore and watery eyes which cause great discomfort.
The app incorporates some simple questions and a quick test which measures how long you can comfortably stare at a screen without blinking. It will help the GPs and pharmacists who generally do not have the access to the equipment and expertise to confirm a diagnosis of dry eye, the research noted.
Scientists will be conducting the first large-scale survey of dry eyes in young people at Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition (2-8 July 2018) in London.