However, relief does not translate into measurable improvements in visual task performance or tear film metrics
TUESDAY, Jan. 13, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Preservative-free artificial tears reduce subjective symptoms in people with digital eye strain (DES) and dryness symptoms, according to a study published online Dec. 26 in Scientific Reports.
Sara Ortiz-Toquero, Ph.D., from the Universidad de Valladolid in Spain, and colleagues investigated the effects of preservative-free artificial tears (four times daily for one month) on ocular symptoms, visual task performance, and tear film stability in 30 visual display terminal (VDT) users with DES and dryness symptoms.
The researchers found that VDT users” symptoms, as measured by the Computer-Vision Symptom Scale and Ocular Surface Disease Index, improved after artificial tear use at the final visit. There were no significant changes seen in out-loud reading speed, although there was a slight improvement in the normalized value after computer use between the initial and final visits. For blink rate, eye fixations, noninvasive tear film break-up time, and tear meniscus height, there were no significant differences observed.
“The current study sets the stage for future research aimed at evaluating the impacts of artificial tears on enhancing symptoms related to DES,” the authors write.
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