Irritated, red, and itchy eyes can be a symptom of many factors, but chronic dry eye is a common cause.

Dry eye is a condition that occurs when the eyes do not produce enough quality tears, leading to burning, stinging and general eye discomfortaccording to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Julie Bowen, best known for her role as Claire Dunphy in the sitcom “Modern Family” spoke with Fox News Digital in an on-camera interview about his recent illness diagnosis.

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While the actress was on the set of the new comedy thriller “Hysteria!,” she noticed her contacts drying out because of the “smoky” environment, she said.

Julie Bowen speaks onstage during Variety’s Power of Women at Mother Wolf on October 24, 2024, in Los Angeles, California. (Michael Kovac/Variety via Getty Images)

During a break from filming, Bowen went to visit him ophthalmologistwho told her she suffered from dry eye, a progressive disease primarily caused by inflammation.

“You can’t just wet the top of your eyeball and treat the inflammation, which is what I was trying to do (with eye drops),” she said.

Bowen was prescribed an anti-inflammatory eye drop, Xiidra, and used it as prescribed twice daily for about nine months.

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Although it wasn’t an immediate solution, Bowen reported that over time she was able to keep her contact lenses in “longer and longer.”

“I can’t feel my eyeballs,” she said. “One of the ophthalmologists I worked with…said to me, ‘You’re not supposed to feel your eyeballs.’ And I was like, “Oh, that’s right!”

Bowen was diagnosed with dry eye, a progressive disease primarily caused by inflammation. (JC Olivera/Getty Images; iStock)

Causes of Dry Eye

Dr. Derek Cunningham, principal of Dell Laser Consultants in Austin, Texas, told Fox News Digital in an interview that dry eye comes in “all different forms.”

Cunningham, who treats patients from across the United States at Dell Laser’s Dry Eye Center, called dry eye “potentially the most common disease” in North America.

“We sit in front of the computer all day without hydrating ourselves, which leads to inflammation over time.”

Modern lifestylesincluding frequent computer use, have led to an increase in cases of dry eye, as the eye is the “highest friction area of ​​the human body,” the doctor said.

“You blink 10,000 times a day,” he continued. “The tear film provides nutrients to your cornea.”

“So your tears aren’t just a lubricant, they’re actually the lifeline for your cornea and the front of your eye.”

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As people age, fewer tears are produced due to hormonal changes, according to Cunningham – and women suffer dry eye more than men for this reason.

Younger workers working in forced-air environments, such as offices, are most at risk, he noted.

Hormonal and medication changes can worsen dryness, as well as inflammatory issues throughout the body, like joint pain or stomach problems, the doctor warned. (iStock)

“When you look at a computer screen, your blink rate can go down to two to four times per minute; on average, it’s supposed to be around 20 to 40 times per minute,” he said. . “We sit in front of the computer all day without hydrating ourselves, which leads to inflammation over time.”

Typing on a computer for a long time is “literally like running for the eyes,” the expert noted.

Symptoms to watch out for

Dry eye can present with different symptoms depending on gender, ethnicity, and other variables, but some “characteristic” signs are constant dryness, fluctuating vision, and overall awareness of your eyes throughout the day. , according to Cunningham.

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“You shouldn’t notice that your eyes are in your head,” he said. “And if you notice they’re there, it’s most often dry eye.”

Recommended remedies

When treating dry eye, there is “no one-size-fits-all product,” Cunningham said.

Some options include anti-inflammatory eye drops, tear plugs, intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy, and other laser treatments.

Although artificial tears can be a “refreshing tool,” prescription steroids and anti-inflammatory drops are needed to treat inflammation, Cunningham said.

Eyes weren’t “built” to stare at a computer screen for long periods of time, an expert says. (iStock)

The skin is also “intimately involved” in dry eye, Cunningham noted, because inflammation in the skinor rosacea, may have a direct correlation with the disease.

“We need to look more at the skin on your face in order to truly manage dry eye,” the doctor said.

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Bowen encourages everyone to get routine eye exams, especially those with dry eye symptoms. Because the disease is progressive and will get worse over time, it’s important to “get ahead of it,” she said.

“The situation is not going to get better if you don’t treat the inflammation,” Bowen added.

Anti-inflammatory eye drops are used to prevent the immune system from “stopping tear production,” which can help with dry eyes, experts say. (iStock)

Manufacturing lifestyle changes — like eating a balanced diet that includes anti-inflammatory foods and exercising regularly — can also help, Cunningham said.

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“A little caffeine will help relieve dry eyes, but a lot of caffeine will make it worse,” the expert noted, while drinking water doesn’t seem to have an impact.

Cunningham added: “The key is to get there early and stop the progression.”