A new survey of 214 eye specialists in India found 70% had dry eye disease symptoms and 55.6% had severe cases, with prolonged screen time and air-conditioned clinics emerging as the main drivers. The study, published in Clinical and Experimental Optometry and reported by Bangalore Mirror’s coverage of the survey, turned the lens on ophthalmologists and optometrists, the very professionals who treat screen-related eye strain for a living.
Those who stare at screens and microscope oculars all day to examine other people’s eyes are catching the condition themselves, often severely enough to interfere with their work. The result reframes dry eye from a patient problem into an occupational one for the people diagnosing it.
What the Study Found
The cross-sectional survey circulated through social media drew 214 responses from eye care professionals across India, 167 from ophthalmologists and 47 from optometrists. The team, led by Sashwanthi Mohan and colleagues, used the Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness (SPEED) questionnaire, a 28-point scale in which a score below 5 means no dry eye, a score of 5 or more signals symptomatic disease, and a score of 8 or more marks severe dry eye.
On that measure, 70% of respondents, 150 out of 214, qualified as having symptomatic dry eye, and 55.6%, 119 out of 214, met the threshold for severe dry eye. The full breakdown sits in the table below.
| Measure | Finding |
|---|---|
| Total respondents | 214 (167 ophthalmologists, 47 optometrists) |
| Symptomatic dry eye disease | 150/214 (70%) |
| Severe dry eye disease | 119/214 (55.6%) |
| Screen time above four hours a day | Significant independent association (p = 0.025) |
| Ophthalmologists vs optometrists | Ophthalmologists more affected (p = 0.016) |
| Work interference, ophthalmologists | 47.7% |
| Work interference, optometrists | 57.4% |
| COVID-19 effect on prevalence | Significant (p = 0.0003) |
| COVID-19 effect on severity | Significant (p < 0.0002) |
The full study, indexed on PubMed under PMID 40930958, also tested factors that did not show a significant independent link: age above 40 years (p = 0.168), female gender (p = 0.077), face mask usage (p = 0.15), and increased surgical time (p = 0.13). Screen exposure and the ophthalmologist-vs-optometrist distinction were the two associations that held.
Why the People Who Treat Eyes Are Getting Hit Hardest
Ophthalmologists logged a significantly higher rate of symptomatic dry eye than optometrists in the survey, a finding the authors link to long hours spent peering through slit lamps and microscope oculars in addition to standard screen work. Both groups routinely handle video display screens for documentation, image review, and teleconsultations, with usage of more than four hours a day emerging as an independent risk factor for the disease (p = 0.025).
The condition is not just uncomfortable for the people diagnosing it; it is interfering with their work. The study found dry eye symptoms disrupted work for 47.7% of ophthalmologists and 57.4% of optometrists, a productivity toll that mirrors the broader public-health version of the same condition. The disparity between the two groups, with optometrists reporting higher work interference despite ophthalmologists showing more symptoms, hints that optometrists may sit closer to prolonged near-work tasks such as refraction testing.
The COVID-19 pandemic amplified the trend. The survey found a significant effect of the pandemic on both the prevalence (p = 0.0003) and severity (p < 0.0002) of dry eye, attributed by the authors to increased screen time during remote work and virtual consultations.
The Humidity Problem Hidden in Office Air Conditioning
Dr Chaitra Jayadev, a vitreoretina specialist at Narayana Nethralaya and one of the study’s authors, argues that screen time alone does not explain the surge. She pointed to indoor humidity, which most patients and professionals overlook. Low-humidity environments, especially those with air-conditioning vents blowing cool air directly across the face, accelerate tear evaporation, and the same chilled clinics and offices that keep equipment cool are drying out the people inside them.
While most people blame screen time, what is often ignored is the role of humidity. Many people sit directly under air-conditioning vents, where cool air continuously blows onto the face and eyes. This reduces moisture and worsens dryness.
Jayadev, quoted in the Bangalore Mirror report, recommended that people working in air-conditioned offices consider using humidifiers to maintain moisture. Her other practical advice: position screens at or slightly below eye level to reduce strain and tear evaporation, take regular breaks, and avoid glare and excessively bright lighting.
From Eye Specialists to Office Workers and Students
The problem extends well beyond eye clinics, the researchers warn. IT employees, students, and other heavy screen users carry the same risk profile, with hours of near-work and exposure to cool, dry indoor air compounding the strain. The clinicians behind the study said the trend is now visible in younger patients who would not historically have shown up with evaporative dry eye.
- 70% of surveyed eye care professionals had symptomatic dry eye.
- 55.6% met the threshold for severe dry eye.
- More than four hours of daily screen use was a significant independent risk factor.
- 47.7% of ophthalmologists said symptoms interfered with their work.
- 57.4% of optometrists said symptoms interfered with their work.
Jayadev put the wider pattern in plain terms. Many professionals spend their entire workday looking at a computer screen, she said. After work, they continue using phones, tablets, or televisions for entertainment. The eyes rarely get a break.
Practical Fixes That Ease Screen-Driven Dry Eye
The authors and their colleagues at Narayana Nethralaya frame dry eye as a multifactorial condition that can be addressed with environment, posture, and behaviour changes rather than drops alone. Dr Gairik Kundu, a cornea and refractive surgery specialist at the hospital, said reduced blinking during prolonged computer use and constant exposure to air conditioners and fans causes tears to evaporate more quickly, leading to dryness, irritation, and discomfort.
Kundu’s headline recommendation is the 20-20-20 rule: after every 20 minutes of screen use, look at an object 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. He also pointed to computer vision syndrome, a frequent companion to dry eye in screen-heavy workers, in which the muscles around the eyes remain overactive and become fatigued from continuous near-work.
- Follow the 20-20-20 rule every 20 minutes during screen work.
- Position computer screens at or slightly below eye level.
- Use a humidifier in air-conditioned offices to counter tear evaporation.
- Take regular breaks to relax the eye muscles.
- Avoid glare and excessively bright lighting.
Greater awareness has pushed more people to seek treatment, Kundu told Bangalore Mirror, but rising reliance on digital devices continues to drive symptoms among working professionals and young adults. The Indian survey joins a wider body of work summarised in the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Dry Eye Syndrome Preferred Practice Pattern, which frames dry eye as a tear-film disorder driven by reduced tear production, increased evaporation, or both, exactly the dual mechanism Kundu described.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is dry eye disease?
Dry eye disease is a condition that causes irritation, burning, redness, and discomfort in the eyes, according to the Bangalore Mirror report on the Indian survey. The study classified it using the Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness (SPEED) questionnaire, where a score of 5 or more indicates symptomatic dry eye and a score of 8 or more marks severe disease.
How many hours of screen time cause dry eye?
The Indian survey of eye care professionals found that spending more than four hours a day using video display screens was independently associated with symptomatic dry eye disease, with a reported p-value of 0.025. That four-hour threshold is the cutoff the study used to define heavy screen use.
Why does screen time cause dry eyes?
Reduced blinking during prolonged computer use causes tears to evaporate more quickly, Dr Gairik Kundu of Narayana Nethralaya told Bangalore Mirror. Continuous near-work also overworks the muscles around the eyes, contributing to computer vision syndrome, which often appears alongside dry eye with symptoms like eye strain, watering, irritation, and fatigue.
What is the 20-20-20 rule?
The 20-20-20 rule recommends that after every 20 minutes of screen use, a person should look at an object 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. Dr Gairik Kundu recommends it as a basic habit to interrupt the cycle of eye strain and dryness that comes with prolonged near-work.
How does air conditioning worsen dry eye?
Cool air blowing directly onto the face and eyes accelerates tear evaporation, especially in low-humidity indoor environments, Dr Chaitra Jayadev explained. People who sit under air-conditioning vents all day often report worse dryness than screen time alone would predict, which is why humidifiers in offices can make a measurable difference.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Dry eye disease and related symptoms should be evaluated by a qualified eye care professional. Figures cited are accurate as of the publication date of the underlying study and report.
