June 6 this year marks the 31st National "Sight Day" with the theme "Eye Health for Everyone".
Eye health spans the entire lifecycle. Enhancing public awareness and popularizing scientific eye care is extremely important. Are blue-blocking glasses and influencer eye drops "miracle tools" or just "IQ taxes"? Does refractive surgery offer a permanent solution? Is declining vision in older adults a normal aging process or a disease signal? How to prevent and treat age-related eye diseases and improve the quality of life for the elderly? On the occasion of National Sight Day, we invite experts to answer key questions about eye health and help the public protect their eyes scientifically.
No Single Magic Fix: Scientific Eye Use Is the Key
Are blue-blocking glasses, eye massagers, and lutein "miracle devices" or "IQ taxes"?
Many eye care products on the market are marketed as miracle solutions to prevent myopia, relieve fatigue, and restore vision. In response, Dr. Liang Lingyi, Chief Physician at Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, emphasizes that eye health management must be based on scientific examination, clear diagnosis, and standardized intervention. Therefore, these products cannot simply be labeled as useful or useless; the key lies in their indications and the public’s realistic expectations.
Dr. Liang explains: take blue-blocking glasses as an example. Many people think wearing them prevents myopia and protects the retina. In fact, wearing blue-blocking glasses cannot be equated with myopia control. For some individuals, appropriate lenses may help reduce glare and improve visual comfort, but if they lead to extended continuous screen time, the result may backfire.
Regarding popular eye massagers, Dr. Liang states that heat and massage may provide comfort for some people with dry eye, meibomian gland dysfunction, or eye strain, but they are not a universal cure. If symptoms such as persistent redness, pain, vision loss, light sensitivity, or discharge occur, patients should not repeatedly use these devices at home but should seek medical attention promptly. Using such products cannot replace scientific eye use, regular routines, eye exams, or medical treatment.
Dr. Liang adds that lutein is a key pigment in the macular region of the retina. Dark green vegetables, corn, and egg yolks are natural sources. For individuals with poor diets or those at risk of specific retinal diseases, lutein supplementation should be guided by a physician. Healthy people should not blindly consume large amounts of supplements, nor should they treat supplements as medicine.
What to do about dry, tired eyes after long screen exposure?
One of the most common eye issues among middle-aged and young adults is dry, sore eyes and blurred vision after prolonged screen use. Dr. Wang Mengyi, attending physician at Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, explains that this is often related to digital eye strain or computer vision syndrome, caused by extended near work, reduced blink rate, dry environments, inappropriate screen brightness, and uncorrected refractive errors.
Under normal conditions, people blink frequently, allowing the tear film to cover the ocular surface evenly. But when focusing on computers or phones, blink rates drop significantly, and incomplete blinks increase, leading to tear film instability and symptoms like dryness, foreign body sensation, burning, and soreness. Dr. Wang recommends the "20-20-20" rule: every 20 minutes of near work, look at something 20 feet (about 6 meters) away for 20 seconds. In practice, take a break every 40–50 minutes: stand up, look into the distance, and blink consciously.
Second, adjust screen and environment. Dr. Wang suggests placing the screen slightly below eye level, at arm's length; match screen brightness to ambient light, avoid watching bright screens in dark rooms; and in air-conditioned or dry environments, moderately increase humidity.
Dr. Wang also presents a study from Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center: "laughter training" can relieve dry eye symptoms as effectively as artificial tears. The mechanism may involve abdominal breathing activating the autonomic nervous system to stimulate tear secretion, while laughing squints the eyes, contracting the orbicularis oculi muscle and squeezing meibomian glands to secrete oil, improving tear film stability. One training routine recites: "hi-hi-hi, ha-ha-ha, qiezi-qiezi-qiezi, qixi-qixi-qixi, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha" as one complete phrase; 30 phrases make one training session, performed four times daily.
Do influencer eye drops really work?
"In outpatient clinics, we often see patients who buy influencer eye drops for long-term use. They feel a cooling sensation and immediate redness relief, so they use them frequently, but behind that short-term comfort lurk risks," warns Dr. Liang. Some drops contain vasoconstrictors that temporarily whiten the eyes, but long-term use may cause rebound redness — the more you use them, the redder your eyes become. Especially concerning: some patients misuse antibiotic or steroid drops as general anti-inflammatory agents, which can mask underlying problems, induce high eye pressure, or worsen corneal infections.
Dr. Liang lists three key precautions for using eye drops: first, read the ingredients and indications; don't blindly trust "imported," "internet-famous," or "cooling sensation" claims. Second, pay attention to the expiration date after opening. Third, special populations such as children, pregnant women, glaucoma patients, and those with corneal diseases should only use drops under professional guidance.
Is refractive surgery a permanent fix?
In recent years, myopia surgery has attracted considerable attention. Dr. Wang Mengyi explains that refractive surgery, including corneal laser and intraocular lens implantation, can help eligible people reduce dependence on glasses, but it does not "cure" myopia, nor is it a one-time solution. It changes the eye's refractive state so that light focuses correctly on the retina. For high myopia patients, even if uncorrected vision improves after surgery, the risk of retinal diseases remains. Therefore, regular retinal examinations are still necessary. Moreover, patients must follow postoperative medication schedules, attend follow-ups, avoid eye rubbing, and maintain reasonable eye use habits. Staying up late and prolonged intense near work after surgery may still lead to eye strain, dry eye, or refractive regression.
"Maintaining eye health requires lifecycle management spanning all ages," says Dr. Liang. The most effective and fundamental protection comes from a healthy lifestyle: spend time outdoors during the day, take breaks during near work, get enough sleep, eat a balanced diet, avoid reading or playing on phones while walking or in dim light, and seek medical advice when symptoms appear.
Key Points for Elderly Eye Protection: Essential Knowledge
"Old age and poor vision: nothing to worry about" — is this correct?
"Old age and poor vision: nothing to worry about" is a common misconception among many elderly people, explains Dr. Li Xiaoxin, Chief Physician at Peking University People's Hospital. This is a widespread and harmful cognitive error in geriatric eye health, and a major reason why many seniors delay treatment until conditions become severe. Normal aging causes only mild presbyopia and difficulty seeing near objects; it does not cause sudden vision decline, distorted vision, blind spots, or fixed shadows. Most vision problems in older adults are not natural aging but pathological changes caused by cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and other eye diseases. Early intervention for these conditions is highly effective, while delay damages the optic nerve and retina, leading to permanent vision loss.
Based on extensive clinical cases, Dr. Li identifies four classic elderly eye care myths. Myth 1: "I see clearly, so my eyes are fine." Many seniors rely on subjective feelings to judge eye health. In fact, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy often have no early symptoms, while retinal damage silently progresses. Myth 2: "Cataracts must be 'ripe' before surgery." Modern micro-incision cataract surgery is highly mature; surgery can be performed as soon as cataracts affect daily life. Myth 3: "Any reading glasses will do." Each person has different degrees, refractive status, and pupillary distance; ill-fitting reading glasses worsen eye strain and accelerate aging. Myth 4: "No pain, no need for treatment." Painless but blinding diseases like AMD and chronic glaucoma should never be judged by pain presence.
How to distinguish the three most common age-related eye diseases: cataracts, glaucoma, and AMD? Cataracts cause gray, blurry vision without pain; glaucoma is a silent thief of sight with visual field loss; AMD causes metamorphopsia (straight lines appear wavy) and central scotoma. How should seniors with chronic diseases maintain retinal health? For elderly patients with hypertension or diabetes, an annual professional eye exam can prevent more than 90% of chronic disease-related blindness risk. Clear vision is vital to quality of life in older adults.
— Content adapted from People's Daily World Sight Day special report. Scientific eye care, share a clear vision.
