Dry Eye Disease (DED), once considered primarily age-related, is now a growing lifestyle disorder—especially among screen users—including IT professionals and teenagers. Responding to this emerging public health issue, Pristine Eye Hospitals has announced the launch of Hyderabad’s first dedicated Centre of Excellence for Dry Eye Disease.
"Dry Eye is no longer a minor eye concern—it’s fast becoming a digital-era health crisis," said Dr. C. Jagadesh Reddy, Cornea, Cataract & Refractive Surgeon and Founder of Pristine Eye Hospitals.
Citing alarming statistics, Dr. Reddy noted that recent studies indicate 70% of IT professionals and 40% of urban teenagers report symptoms of dry eye. In fact, 1 in 3 tech workers suffer from moderate to severe DED. Teenagers spending more than four hours daily on screens are twice as likely to develop the condition.
“From work and education to entertainment and socialising—our lives are screen-centric. We’re blinking less, straining more, and often ignoring the early signs of damage,” Dr. Reddy explained.
Often underdiagnosed or self-treated with over-the-counter drops, Dry Eye Disease can lead to persistent discomfort, corneal damage, and eye infections if left unaddressed.
To combat this, Pristine Eye Hospitals is launching a state-of-the-art Dry Eye Centre near Rayadurgam Metro Station, opposite Raheja Mindspace in Hyderabad’s IT corridor. The centre will be formally inaugurated on July 30 by Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary, Government of Telangana.
Equipped with world-class diagnostics—including Tear Film Analyzer, Meibography, and LipiView Imaging—and advanced therapies such as LipiFlow, Intense Pulsed Light (IPL), BlephEx™, MeiboFlow, and Punctal Plugs, the centre also offers personalized eye wellness programmes for long-term care.
Dr. Reddy referred to the condition as a "Blink Crisis," impacting both “screenagers” and tech professionals. Reduced blinking—by up to 60% during screen use—air-conditioned indoor environments, poor posture, and prolonged contact lens use are key contributors to the problem.
As part of its broader mission, the hospital’s non-profit arm, Pristine Vision Foundation, will launch the “Blink Break” campaign to raise awareness about digital eye health. The initiative promotes the 20-20-20 Rule—every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds—and offers a Dry Eye Self-Test (OSDI) via the Pristine website. It emphasizes preventive screening and early detection before symptoms escalate.
The Foundation also plans to conduct community outreach, including screening camps and mobile clinics, to extend eye care access to underserved populations.
“Dry Eye isn’t just a medical issue anymore—it’s a modern lifestyle disorder,” Dr. Reddy emphasized. “We need to move from just measuring screen time to cultivating screen mindfulness. Our Centre is a step toward that shift—a commitment to protecting vision in our increasingly digital world.”