A city-based super speciality eye hospital today opened what it claims is Asia's first laboratory for treating "dry eyes", a lifestyle disease induced by long-term exposure to computers and caused by diseases such as diabetes and arthritis.
"We have invested more than Rs 2.5 crore on this lab and it will benefit the population facing this particular problem," Narayana Nethralaya Vice Chairman Dr Rohit Shetty told reporters here.
The laboratory is exclusively dedicated towards research, diagnosis and treatment of "dry eyes", he said.
The evaporative dry eye condition is found commonly among people in the age group of 18-45 while dryness is caused in the older age group because of systemic diseases.
"We are seeing around 45 to 55 per cent cases in evaporative dry eye. This is close to 50 per cent increase in the last 10 years and is a serious cause for concern because it is emerging as a major lifestyle disease," Narayana Nethralaya Chairman and Managing Director Bhujang Shetty said.
