Raising public awareness, let’s work together to increase awareness.

[Hannibal41]

before having the check up to discover why I had dry eyes, I never knew about any of this issue and related topics (mgd, blepharitis, Lipiflow, ipl, probing, lipid layer, restasis etc). Those terms would have flown over my head. But as we alll know, screen use and the lack of blinking is one of the factors contributing to dry eyes. The modern world is becoming lay increasingly screen based ( TVs, computers, phones, tablets etc). More and more people will inevitably suffer from it.

i would not want to wish this suffering on even my worst enemy, but I believe that there is a huge lack of knowledge about dry eyes, which in turn means that less focus is put on research as other issues, such as cancer ( I know a few people who suffered from it) etc take the spotlight. I am thinking of writing a letter to my local mp to try and raise awareness about dry eyes. I believe that if we all write to our local politicians ( from any country), this could eventually lead to more and more political interest in dry eyes. Especially useful in places with public healthcare. Of course this won’t be an overnight thing, but years/ decades in the future we can look back and see this as a pebble that started the avalanche.

so I urge everyone, write to local politicians etc and try to raise the issue of dry eyes and the current lack of affordable treatment, or cure. Raise the issue of decreased work productivity of sufferers, financial burden of sufferers, mental wellbeing etc. Get friends and family to also write letters and help spread the word.

Another thing I was wondering, is potentially making eye care as publicly ingrained as brushing your teeth twice a day. Now normal people aren’t going to do all the stuff we do, but if there is a relatively quick and easy routine that the public could be educated on to do at the same time they do their teeth, it could help reduce the frequency of sufferers.

[Guest]

It's so difficult to get anyone to understand the importance of eye health. I've tried talking to people about my screen use and how it added to my dryness. I talk about proper hygiene and not overwearikg contacts. People just look at me like I'm insane. I get it, I would have done the same thing when I was healthy. Bevause you just don't think about your eyes until there's a problem....I sure didn't. I took all this for granted.

I agree...I want more awareness. I'm just not sure what it's going to take. I assume when people's children start getting gland drop out from excessive screen time, then it will be a concern. I believe something major will have to happen and I think it's going to happen in the next 20-30 years.

[farmgirl]

I think it needs to start in schools by making parents aware of the dangers of excessive screen use this could be provided by the health unit nurse who visits the schools. In Canada at least health units are the first to contact parents of new borns and they could provide information that will start from the ground up if the parents have an awareness and choose to take steps to mitigate the damage. These nurses are also the ones that go out to the schools. I think I might do up an information sheet and take it to the health unit and see if I can worm my way up to the top.