Dry eye is not a simple annoyance—it's a silent disease advancing undetected
Across metropolitan Lima, millions of Peruvians endure the quiet suffering of burning, gritty eyes each day — reaching for pharmacy eyedrops rather than medical care, unaware that what troubles them has a name. A study by Laboratorios Lansier reveals that seven in ten Peruvians do not recognize dry eye as a disease, and nearly four in five have never been formally diagnosed, even as screen exposure climbs past eight hours daily for half the population. The gap between suffering and understanding is not a failure of medicine but of awareness — and specialists warn that without education and regular ophthalmological care, a manageable condition will quietly erode the quality of life for millions.
- A chronic, diagnosable disease is hiding in plain sight — 79% of Peruvians with dry eye symptoms have never received a formal diagnosis, normalizing pain that medicine can address.
- Self-medication is quietly making things worse, with over 42% treating themselves without guidance and risking delayed diagnosis and corneal damage.
- Screen culture is accelerating the crisis — half of respondents spend more than eight hours daily on devices, yet fewer than 9% get an annual eye exam, leaving a known risk factor unchecked.
- The human cost is measurable and mounting: 65% experience constant discomfort and nearly 22% find their daily activities — reading, driving, working — increasingly compromised.
- Ophthalmologists and Laboratorios Lansier are pushing for public education and routine checkups as the most immediate lever to interrupt the cycle of silent suffering.
Every morning, millions of Peruvians blink through burning eyes and a gritty sensation under their lids, reach for eyedrops from the nearest pharmacy, and move on with their day. Most do not know they have a disease.
A study conducted by Laboratorios Lansier in metropolitan Lima found that seven in ten people surveyed did not recognize dry eye as a medical condition. Nearly 79% had never been formally diagnosed, despite reporting symptoms consistent with the disorder — among them the characteristic sensation of sand in the eye, reported by 43.6% of respondents, and redness or excessive tearing, reported by 36.6%. Rather than seek professional care, more than 42% self-medicated, and over a quarter used artificial tears without any supervision.
Ophthalmologist Dr. Marleni Mendoza identified a troubling contradiction at the heart of the data: half of participants spent more than eight hours daily in front of screens — a known driver of dry eye, as reduced blinking accelerates tear evaporation — yet fewer than 9% received an annual eye examination. The conditions for disease were present; the infrastructure for detection was not.
The consequences are real. In 65.3% of cases, dry eye caused constant discomfort. In 21.8%, it had begun to limit daily life — reading, driving, working. Mendoza was clear: self-medication delays proper care and often worsens outcomes. "Dry eye is not a simple annoyance," she said. "We need to educate people before it damages their quality of life."
Though there is no permanent cure, dry eye responds well to personalized treatment. Simple preventive habits — visual breaks every twenty minutes, deliberate blinking, avoiding dry or smoky environments — can make a meaningful difference. In severe cases, anti-inflammatory drops can restore natural tear production. Laboratorios Lansier is urging Peruvians to schedule regular eye checkups even without symptoms. The solutions exist. What remains missing is the awareness to seek them.
Millions of Peruvians wake up each morning with burning eyes, a gritty sensation under the lids, or persistent redness. They blink through the discomfort, reach for eyedrops they bought at a pharmacy, and carry on. Most of them have no idea they have a disease.
A study conducted by Laboratorios Lansier in metropolitan Lima found that seven out of every ten people surveyed did not recognize dry eye as an actual medical condition. More striking still: nearly four out of five respondents—79.2 percent—had never received a formal diagnosis, despite reporting symptoms consistent with the disorder. The World Health Organization estimates that dry eye affects between 5 and 50 percent of the global population, making it one of the most common vision problems on earth. Yet in Peru, it remains largely invisible, a chronic ailment that people have learned to live with rather than treat.
Dry eye develops when the tear film—either its quantity or its quality—becomes compromised. The result is a cascade of discomfort: burning, the sensation of sand or a foreign object lodged in the eye, redness, blurred vision, and in untreated cases, actual damage to the cornea. The research revealed that 43.6 percent of respondents experienced that characteristic gritty feeling, while 36.6 percent reported redness or excessive tearing, and 14.9 percent complained of burning or itching. Yet rather than seek professional evaluation, many turned to self-treatment. More than 42 percent self-medicated, and 26.7 percent used artificial tears without any medical supervision.
Dr. Marleni Mendoza, an ophthalmologist and scientific advisor to Lansier, pointed to a particular irony in the data: half of the study participants spent more than eight hours daily in front of screens—computers, phones, tablets—yet fewer than 9 percent underwent an annual eye examination. Screen time is a known risk factor for dry eye, as prolonged focus reduces blinking and accelerates tear evaporation. The conditions were ripe for disease to take hold, yet the infrastructure for detection was almost entirely absent.
The human toll is not trivial. In 21.8 percent of cases, dry eye had begun to limit daily activities—reading, driving, working. In 65.3 percent of cases, it caused constant, nagging discomfort. Mendoza emphasized that self-medication often worsens symptoms and delays proper diagnosis. "Dry eye is not a simple annoyance," she said. "We need to educate people, prevent the disease from advancing, and get them to an ophthalmologist before it damages their quality of life."
There is no permanent cure for dry eye, but it can be managed effectively with personalized treatment. The most common causes—excessive screen use, aging, exposure to dry or air-conditioned environments, and eyelid problems—are often preventable or controllable. In severe cases, advanced treatments like cyclosporine eye drops can reduce inflammation and restore the eye's natural tear production. Specialists recommend simple preventive measures: taking a visual break every twenty minutes when using screens, blinking deliberately to maintain ocular moisture, avoiding smoky or dusty spaces, and consulting an ophthalmologist before using any eye medication.
Mendoza's final message was direct: many patients improve significantly once they receive proper treatment. The barrier is not the absence of solutions but the absence of awareness. Laboratorios Lansier is urging Peruvians to schedule regular eye checkups, even without symptoms, as the most reliable way to catch problems early and preserve vision. Until that happens, millions will continue to suffer in silence, treating a disease they do not know they have.
Citas Notables
We are facing a silent disease that advances without people being fully aware of its impact. The message is clear: we must educate, prevent, and see an ophthalmologist before the disease affects quality of life.— Dr. Marleni Mendoza, ophthalmologist and scientific advisor to Laboratorios Lansier
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does it matter that people don't know dry eye is a disease? Isn't it just uncomfortable?
Because discomfort that goes untreated can become damage. In a fifth of cases, it's already limiting what people can do—work, read, drive. And the longer it goes undiagnosed, the more likely the cornea gets harmed.
But people are using eyedrops. Isn't that helping?
Not if they're buying them without a diagnosis. Self-medication can actually make things worse. You need to know what's causing the dryness before you treat it.
What's the connection to screens?
Half the people in the study are staring at screens eight hours a day. Screens reduce blinking. Less blinking means tears evaporate faster. It's a perfect setup for dry eye—and yet fewer than one in ten of these people get their eyes checked annually.
So this is preventable?
Largely, yes. Regular breaks, deliberate blinking, avoiding dry environments. But you have to know the problem exists first. That's the gap.
Is there a treatment that actually works?
Yes. Personalized treatment can restore tear production and significantly improve quality of life. But people have to get to an ophthalmologist. Right now, most never do.
What would change things?
Education and access. People need to understand that persistent eye discomfort is not normal. And they need to see a doctor before they self-treat.