this post was submitted on 04 Jul 2026
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The other commenters are well meaning but don't really know what they're talking about. I have chronic dry eye from staring at screens too much (remember to blink!). My tear ducts have gotten overworked and started to produce thicker, gunkier, tears which blocked them and cause styes. I've lost a bunch of my tear ducts. Once they're gone they don't grow back.
These little mites eat the gunk my eyes produce and, when they get overpopulated, leave a ton of gunk on your eye. It's called blepharitis
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/demodex-blepharitis
I've had it so bad that I've had trouble opening my eyes in the morning. There's a relatively new eyedrop that clears them out. Combining that with hot dye compresses and lid scrubs have helped keep them under control and has drastically increased my eyelid health
I hope that helps answer your question
How many years of staring at screens did it take, if you don't mind me asking ?
It must be a personal issue because I have been a screen starer for 35-40 years and don't have this issue. One of my kids got itz and the remedy was morning and night eye washing.
The doctors say it's common for screen starers. It's certainly not going to be everyone but I've been playing video games/using the computer heavily since I was a kid
My doctor's practically predicted I was a programmer when they saw the problems I was having with styes and dry eyes
https://www.trieyecare.com/dry-eye-optometrist/electronic-devices-and-dry-eye/
I've been using computers heavily for over 2 decades
https://www.trieyecare.com/dry-eye-optometrist/electronic-devices-and-dry-eye/
My eye doctors have impressed on me the importance of eye lid health and hot eye compresses. They say everyone should do it twice a day
I'm not sure if I'd go as far as to reccomend that (plenty of people do fine without it) but my eyes get gunky FAST if I skip hot eye compresses
So like do you wet a washcloth with hot water and drape it on or is there a different way?
I have an electric hot eye compress
https://www.wizardresearch.com/products/dry-eye-relief-mask-electric
It's over priced for what it is but it's the ones my doctor recommended and I haven't found a better one. I often will put a damp paper towel on it for moistness
The doctors office itself uses a microwaveable version. The important thing is to use it for at least 7 minutes
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11341798/
Thank you for the info!