A 24-year-old gaming fanatic is suffering from an eye disease after spending hours glued to a computer screen.
The disease which causes pain in the eyes normally affects people at least twice her age.
Trainee floor planner Natalie Burns was only 18 and studying graphic design at college in Scotland when she became sensitive to light and felt stabbing pains in her eyes.
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She also experienced itchiness and tiredness in her eyes which became red - she was eventually diagnosed with dry eye disease.
The disease is more common in people over the age of 50 - dry eyes occur when people experience decreased tear production
According to the NHS, looking at a computer screen for a long time without a break can cause dry eye disease.
Natalie, who is originally from Glasgow but now lives in North Woolwich, east London, said: "I've spent a lot of time being angry at myself.
“This disease is technically preventable which is so frustrating.
“I feel like I could have prevented it, which sounds really silly, but it’s one of those things you end up beating yourself up over when you get diagnosed.”
She continued: “I’ve had to go to support groups and speak to people going through the same thing to understand that I’m not alone in this.
“I’m trying to stay positive and hope that I’ll find a treatment that works for me soon.”
Natalie’s nightmare began in December 2014 when she started to suffer from light sensitivity.
She said: “It seemed to happen overnight. I woke up one morning and noticed clicking noises in my eyes when I blinked.
“Things progressed from there.”
As her symptoms worsened, she began to experience burning and stinging sensations as well as constant itching, stabbing pains and fatigued red eyes.
She said: “I started to get stabbing pains in my eyes, my eyeballs were red, it was awful.
“When I went to the doctor, I was diagnosed with dry eye disease.”
Common causes of dry eye disease include contact lenses, looking at computer screens for a long time without a break and spending time in air-conditioned or heated environments.
Natalie said: “At the time, I was studying on a graphic design course, so spent 9am to 4pm five days a week, in front of a computer screen.
“Then, I would go home and play video games in the evenings.”
She continued: “I love gaming, but when I realised that so much time spent in front of the computer was probably the root cause of my condition, I was devastated and equally angry with myself.
“It took some time to come to terms with, because I struggled for a long time with feeling mad at myself about it.”
Natalie says doctors prescribed her various different treatments, including eye drops and gels and she frequently switched GP surgeries, in the hope of finding a perfect remedy.
She said: “My eyes aren’t as bad as they were when I was first diagnosed, but I still struggle a lot with them.
“I used to only have about three good days a week. Now I would say it’s about 50 per cent of the week when my eyes will flare up.
“I’m still on the hunt for the right course of treatment for me, though. I haven’t found one that I’m completely happy with yet.”
While Natalie still battles dry eye disease, she has also had to limit her screen time.
She said: “I’m sometimes still able to play computer games, but on my bad days, it’s too much of a strain on my eyes.
“I have regular check-ups with my optician and I still don’t know what the solution will be.”
She added: “I’m lucky that I now have a job that doesn’t really involve computers.
“When the lockdown lifted, I was so relieved to be getting back to work, because there was no escape from the TV and computer screens in lockdown.”
Now, Natalie hopes to raise awareness of dry eye disease.
Currently, the disease affects one in four people in the UK - 43 per cent of respondents to a new YouGov poll of 2.000 British people stated they experienced relevant symptoms.
But, despite its prevalence, the survey commissioned by eyecare experts Théa found that 36 per cent of those polled had no idea what the symptoms of dry eye disease were.
Natalie said: “It’s a very common condition, but it’s possibly one that often gets overlooked by the public.”
She continued: “I had never heard of it before my diagnosis and it’s massively impacted my life.
“It’s normally a condition that affects older people, but more and more young people are being diagnosed with it.
“I’m hopeful that I’ll find something soon that can alleviate the pain I’m in.”
Optometrist and dry eye expert, Sarah Farrant, believes that dry eye disease can have a knock-on effect on a person’s wellbeing.
She said: “As we get older, our tears are often not able to lubricate our eyes as effectively as when we were younger.
“The eye surface is dry, so it can trigger reflex watery tears, making the eyes water, but the problem is that the tears don’t contain the right lubricants.”
She continued: “Dry eye has a knock-on effect on people’s wellbeing, as it can really get in the way of everyday life.
“When left untreated, the discomfort can have a huge impact on sufferers’ mental health and wellbeing.
“My best advice would be to not suffer in silence and talk to your local optometrist or pharmacist about dry eyes, as there are lots of options that can help you manage it.”
To find out more about Dry Eye Disease symptoms, visit www.youreyehealth.co.uk/symptom-checker
