The Everyday Habits Quietly Affecting Your Eye Health, According to an Eye Surgeon
If your eyes have been feeling dry, strained, or just not quite right lately, there’s a good chance it’s not random. It’s your routine.
The way we live now, constantly on screens, multitasking, layering on beauty products, and pushing through long days without pause, has quietly reshaped what eye health looks like. What used to show up later in life is now something ophthalmologists are seeing much earlier and far more often.
Dr. Julie Chung sees it every day. As an ophthalmologist at UCLA and co-founder of T3, she has a unique vantage point into how our modern habits intersect with both health and beauty. And according to her, many of the things we consider normal are actually working against our eyes in ways most people do not realize.
The Screen Time Effect No One Is Talking About
One of the biggest shifts she has seen is the rise of dry eye. Early in her career, it was something that typically showed up in older patients or those with underlying conditions. Now, it has become incredibly common, and screens are a major reason why.
When we stare at our phones or laptops, we blink far less than we are supposed to. That seemingly small change disrupts the tear film and leads to what is known as evaporative dry eye. Over time, that can show up as irritation, redness, or that familiar tired feeling so many people brush off.
Her advice is simple but often overlooked. Blink on purpose. She recommends taking what she calls “blink breaks” every 15 to 30 minutes, looking away from your screen, blinking deliberately, and giving your eyes a moment to reset. Artificial tears can also help support hydration when needed.
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