Many Aussies dream of working from home, but one woman’s remote job on the Gold Coast has left her with an eye disease normally associated with the elderly.
Madison Brinkworth, 27, is one of an increasing number of young people with dry eyes.
Health professionals attribute the cause to excessive screen time, with Ms Brinkworth, a digital marketer, spending more than eight hours a day on her laptop while working from home.
“I find it difficult to pull myself away from a screen,” Ms Brinkworth told Daily Mail Australia.
‘I can’t avoid working on my laptop eight hours a day, so it’s inevitable.
‘I try to give myself breaks during the day.
“I usually find that my relaxation time is scrolling through TikTok or Instagram. So it’s very difficult to limit screen time or take steps.”
In 2023, Ms. Brinkworth reached the point where her eyes were persistently swollen and itchy, and an optometrist diagnosed her with dry eyes.
Madison Brinkworth, 27, is one of an increasing number of young people with dry eyes
She has undergone treatment at InMode’s IPL platformwhich uses bipolar radiofrequency to target the meibomian glands, the part of the eye responsible for normal oil production.
It is a non-invasive treatment for dry eyes that stimulates the glands to improve the quality of the tear film and relieve symptoms.
After treatment, she has had to follow a daily ‘regimen’ to prevent the condition from returning, including cleansing foam, supplements, antibacterial spray, eye drops and warm compresses.
“The doctor said she sees cases where there really is no going back. The eyes are crying with pus.’
Gold Coast optometrist Shaina Zheng said she has seen a 20 per cent increase in the number of patients under 30 with dry eyes visiting her clinic in the past 12 months.
Some were as young as 11 years old, Dr. Zheng said.
‘Parents come in with teenage children, and some even pre-teens, struggling with symptoms such as watery eyes, accompanied by a stinging or burning sensation.
‘When patients experience symptoms this young, I always recommend a blood test to make sure there is no underlying condition, and if those tests come back clear, it’s difficult to go past the screening time as the cause of the condition.
‘Unfortunately, time spent on screens is only increasing and parents tell me it is difficult for them to keep it under control.’
In 2023, Ms Brinkworth reached the point where her eyes were constantly swollen and itchy
Dry eye disease is a condition in which the eyes no longer produce enough tears, leading to discomfort, redness and vision problems.
A recent study in the Indian Journal of Opthamology found that children who spend more than 3 to 3.5 hours a day on screens have a significantly higher risk of developing the disease.
“We blink less when we look at computers, phones and tablets, and when we blink while looking at screens, our eyes often don’t close completely, which means less lubrication over the eye,” says Dr. Zheng.
The optometrist said eye drops were just a band-aid solution to the problem and that the new bipolar radio frequency technology she is offering Eyecare Plus Mermaid Beach clinic is a long-term solution.