Hyderabad: As families prepare to celebrate Mother’s Day on Sunday, eye specialists in Hyderabad are drawing attention to an often-overlooked health issue affecting many women silently – dry eye disease. They warned that frequent use of eye cosmetics, hormonal changes, long screen hours, and lifestyles are increasingly taking a toll on women’s eye health.Doctors said they are now seeing nearly 15 to 20 women with evaporative dry eye every week, especially among working professionals in urban areas who work on screens for a long duration and use kajal, mascara and eyeliners on a regular basis.A study conducted at Gandhi Hospital, Hyderabad, found that 39.5% of postmenopausal women examined had dry eye disease, with prevalence increasing with age.In a recent case, a woman in her mid-40s had been spending 12 to 14 hours daily on digital screens for several years while also regularly using heavy eye makeup. “She came with severe burning sensation, itching and watering of eyes. On examination, nearly 70% of her meibomian glands were already damaged. Once these glands are lost, they cannot be restored,” said Dr Simmy Chaudhary, senior consultant ophthalmologist at Apollo Hospitals.Dr Jagadeesh Reddy Bandi, HOD of Ophthalmology at Arete Hospital, said cosmetics applied along the eyelid waterline can block meibomian glands, which produce the oily layer of tears. “When these glands get blocked, tears evaporate faster, causing burning sensation, irritation, redness and watering of eyes. Reduced blinking during prolonged screen time further worsens the problem,” he explained.Dr Swati Singh, ophthalmologist, LVPEI suggested that people should blink more frequently while using digital devices and reduce mobile phone usage, especially at night. “Good sleep is very important because it allows the eyes to rest and reduces dry eye complaints in the morning. Warm compresses over the eyelids, especially near the lash line where the glands are located, can also help relieve symptoms if the glands are obstructed.”“Across the hospital, almost one-fourth of the cases could be linked to dry eye complaints. Interestingly, we are now seeing more young patients, particularly software engineers and IT professionals in the 20–40 age group, coming with dry eye symptoms,” she added.Doctors also noted that routine eye examinations are increasingly helping detect conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease at an early stage.Doctors advised women to avoid applying kajal directly on the waterline, avoid sleeping with eye makeup, maintain eyelid hygiene and stay hydrated. They also recommended following the “20-20-20 rule” — taking a 20-second break every 20 minutes and looking 20 feet away from the screen to improve blinking and reduce eye strain.
