This Supplement Combats Dry Eyes Caused By Daily Screen Use*

The beauty and wellness industries emphasize the importance of staying hydrated, but your skin isn't the only part of your body that requires moisture. When your eyes aren't properly lubricated, dryness and all that comes with it (scratching, burning, tired eyes) is around the corner. 

Luckily, promoting hydration and overall eye health is easy with simple everyday hacks, from taking an antioxidant-rich eye health supplement (like mbg's eye health+) to downloading an app that alerts you to blink.* 

According to the vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at OmniActive Health Technologies Deshanie Rai, Ph.D., FACN, eye dryness is exactly what it sounds like: When the eyes don't generate optimal amounts of tears to keep themselves moist and hydrated. 

As society's digital dependency increases steadily, keeping your eyes hydrated is just as important as moisturizing your face and body.

"We live in a digital world where we are almost dependent on our digital devices to conduct work and socialize, as well as for entertainment, and our blinking time is considerably reduced when using a computer [or smartphone or tablet]," Rai explains. "As a result, our wide-open eyes are more prone to dryness and eye strain."

In a study published in PLOS ONE, researchers found that smartphone usage can hinder the eye's tear film1 and cause more oxidative stress around the eye. But note: The study took place in 2018 (pre-pandemic), and the participants' ocular health was evaluated after one to four hours of smartphone usage. The results of a survey conducted by Statista in 2021 reveal a more grim digital use prevalence: Almost half (46%) of respondents spent roughly five to six hours on their phones, daily. 

Fact: "The pandemic has further increased our 'screen time' (time viewing screens of computers, handheld devices, etc.) versus before the pandemic," Rai says. She adds that other aspects of an indoor environment, such as low humidity and draft air, can also make eye dryness more prevalent.

So, what can you do to combat eye dryness and actively promote healthy, hydrated eyes on the daily? For starters, try these easy, actionable tips: 

One of the easiest ways you can enhance your overall eye health is to add a comprehensive eye health supplement rooted in the latest clinical research to your daily routine.*

The age-old saying "you are what you eat" rings true here—the types of food you consume directly affect your eye health, and one of the most important nutrients to include in your diet is omega-3 fatty acids. Examples of foods rich in omega-3s include chia seeds, hemp seeds, and fatty fish like tuna and salmon.

According to a paper published in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, the retina (the part of the eye that converts light into signals that are then computed to images in the brain), specifically the membranes of the photoreceptors in the retina, is largely made up of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA5. However, because the human body does not produce omega-3s EPA and DHA efficiently, making sure we consume enough through diet and supplementation is critical.

As a nation, we're falling seriously short on marine omega-3 intake. For a baseline starting point, the American Heart Association6 recommends adults consume two servings of fatty fish per week.

But for incremental, targeted health gains or if you're simply seeking to consume a purified, sustainable source of EPA and DHA in your daily nutrition ritual, take advantage of an omega-3 supplement like mbg's omega-3 potency+, which contains 1,500 milligrams of 100% sustainably sourced marine omega-3s EPA and DHA.

Another easy way to quench your eye's thirst is to simply drink more water. After all, "eye dryness" is just a fancy way of saying your eyes need some extra moisturization!

So for the sake of your whole body (including your high metabolically active eyes), drink up. Depending on your gender and life stage, this means 9 to 13 cups of this all-important H₂0 daily.

Blinking helps protect the eyes from debris, pollutants, air temperature effects, and some free radicals. The more you can combat external environmental stressors, the less likely you are to have dry eyes.

You can set an alarm on your phone or leave a Post-it note on your work desk to remind you to blink often. There are also smartphone apps that remind you to blink every few seconds with the gentle nudge of an icon. 

In a world where virtually everything is becoming, well, virtual—stepping away from the screen can feel almost impossible. You don't need to take a digital detox if you don't feel it's sustainable. You should, however, break up your screen time to give your eyes a break from blue light exposure and digital eye strain.

Rai's advice is to follow the 20-20-20 rule: "Every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away from the screen for 20 seconds," she explains. Optometrist Mary Ann Ellement, O.D., previously told mbg you can also close your eyes—tightly at first, and then relax them. Open and repeat the sequence four times, up to four times a day.

The eye level of your computer screen could also be contributing to your eye dryness. See, when your computer screen is above eye level, your eyes need to open wider to take everything in, thus increasing the surface area of your eyeballs susceptibility to dryness, making your eye's ciliary muscles work harder to focus, and even upping the chances of debris and other environmental stressors flying in. 

Adjusting your screen so that it's below eye level makes it so that your eyes don't have to open as much, slowing the evaporation of the tear film between blinks.

Eye dryness can be unpleasant (and just plain distracting!). In some cases, it can even affect your visual performance and productivity. 

Luckily, implementing small changes to your lifestyle can help nurture and elevate your ocular health in a major way. Stellar strategies include making smart adjustments to your work environment, making a conscious effort to blink more throughout the day, and adding a high-quality, holistic eye health supplement (like mbg's eye health+, which boasts botanical bioactives clinically shown to lubricate your eyes) to your daily wellness and longevity routine.*