Stiff Eyes Every Time You Look at Your Phone: What Donguibogam Says About Chronic Dry Eye Syndrome

From a modern medical perspective, Donguibogam's concept of liver blood deficiency points to microvascular circulatory impairment around the eyes and autonomic nervous system dysregulation affecting lacrimal gland function. The liver plays a central role in detoxification, blood storage, and regulating the stress response. Chronic stress and sleep deprivation elevate stress hormones like cortisol, which can prompt a systemic inflammatory response and vasoconstriction. Tears are a complex fluid made up of three layers: the lipid layer, the aqueous layer, and the mucus layer. The lipid layer keeps tears from evaporating, the aqueous layer provides hydration and nutrients, and the mucus layer helps tears spread evenly across the ocular surface. Dry eye syndrome can arise whenever any of these three layers is compromised. For example, focusing on a smartphone or computer screen for long stretches drastically lowers your blink rate. While an average resting rate is 15 to 20 blinks per minute, it can fall below 5 blinks per minute when staring at screens. When blinking slows down this much, the tear film cannot coat the ocular surface evenly and evaporates too quickly. Modern dietary patterns and daily habits also take a toll on ocular health. Foods high in refined carbohydrates and sugar foster internal inflammation, while inadequate intake of essential fatty acids such as omega-3 can shortchange the building blocks needed for the tear film's lipid layer. In particular, lipids secreted by the meibomian glands in the eyelids are the critical element preventing tear evaporation, and meibomian gland dysfunction is recognized as a primary driver of dry eye syndrome. Stress, sleep deprivation, and excessive screen time can aggravate meibomian gland inflammation and hinder lipid secretion. Furthermore, chronic fatigue and persistent stress disrupt autonomic nervous system balance. The parasympathetic nervous system encourages tear secretion and supports eye rest, whereas the sympathetic nerve revs up during tension. Modern life keeps sympathetic nerves constantly overactivated, suppressing tear production and prompting dry eye sensations. In this light, the classical phrase liver blood deficiency can be understood as an astute early observation that captures these neurological and endocrinological disruptions alongside compromised blood-borne nourishment. This closely matches modern medicine's recognition that dry eyes are rarely just an isolated eye complaint, but are intertwined with systemic balance.