Health
Julie Bowen of 'Modern Family' gets real about chronic dry eye: What to know about the progressive condition
Itchy, red, irritated eyes could be a symptom of many things, but chronic dry eye is a common culprit.
Dry eye is a condition that occurs when the eyes do not produce enough quality tears, leading to burning, stinging and general ocular discomfort, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Julie Bowen, best known for her role as Claire Dunphy on the sitcom “Modern Family,” spoke with Fox News Digital in an on-camera interview about her recent diagnosis with the condition.
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While the actress was on set for the new comedic thriller “Hysteria!”, she noticed that her contacts would dry out due to the “smoky” environment, she said.
Julie Bowen speaks onstage during Variety’s Power of Women at Mother Wolf on Oct. 24, 2024, in Los Angeles, California. (Michael Kovac/Variety via Getty Images)
During a break from shooting, Bowen went to visit her eye doctor, who told her she had dry eye, a progressive condition that’s mostly caused by inflammation.
“You can’t just wet the top of your eyeball and treat the inflammation, which is what I had been trying to do [with eyedrops],” she said.
Bowen was prescribed an anti-inflammatory eye drop, Xiidra, and used it as prescribed twice a day for about nine months.
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Although it wasn’t an immediate fix, Bowen reported that over time, she was able to keep her contact lenses in “longer and longer.”
“I’m able to not feel my eyeballs,” she said. “One of the eye doctors I was working with … told me, ‘You’re not supposed to feel your eyeballs.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, right!’ If you feel your eyeballs, something’s wrong.”
Bowen was diagnosed with dry eye, a progressive condition that’s mostly caused by inflammation. (JC Olivera/Getty Images; iStock)
Causes of dry eye
Dr. Derek Cunningham, director of Dell Laser Consultants in Austin, Texas, told Fox News Digital in an interview that dry eye comes in “all different forms.”
Cunningham, who treats people from all over the U.S. at Dell Laser’s dedicated dry eye center, called dry eye the “potentially most prevalent disease” in North America.
“We sit at the computer all day without hydration, and that builds up inflammation over time.”
Modern lifestyles, including frequent computer use, have driven an uptick in dry eye cases, as the eye is the “highest-friction area of the human body,” the doctor said.
“You blink 10,000 times a day,” he went on. “The tear film is bringing nutrients to your cornea.”
“So, your tears are not just a lubricant — they’re actually the lifeline of your cornea and the front of your eye.”
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As people age, fewer tears are produced due to hormonal changes, according to Cunningham – and women suffer from dry eye more than men for this reason.
Young workers in forced-air environments, like offices, are most at risk, he noted.
Changes in hormones and medication can worsen dryness, as well as inflammatory issues throughout the body like joint pain or stomach problems, the doctor cautioned. (iStock)
“When you stare at a computer screen, your blink rate can go down to two to four times a minute; on average, it’s supposed to be about 20 to 40 times a minute,” he said. “We sit at the computer all day without hydration, and that builds up inflammation over time.”
Typing on a computer for a long period of time is “literally like sprinting for your eyes,” the expert noted.
Symptoms to know
Dry eye can have different symptoms based on gender, ethnicity and other variables, but some “hallmark” signs are consistent dryness, fluctuating vision and overall awareness of your eyes throughout the day, according to Cunningham.
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“You should not notice that your eyes are in your head,” he said. “And if you notice they’re there, that’s most commonly dry eye.”
Recommended remedies
When treating dry eye, there is “no one product for everybody,” said Cunningham.
Some options include anti-inflammatory eye drops, tearduct plugs, intense pulsed light therapy (IPL) and other laser treatments.
While artificial tears can be a “refreshing tool,” prescription steroids and anti-inflammatory drops are needed to address the inflammation, Cunningham said.
Eyes weren’t “built” to stare at a computer screen for long periods of time, according to an expert. (iStock)
Skin is also “intimately involved” in dry eye, Cunningham noted, as inflammation in the skin, or rosacea, can have a direct correlation to the condition.
“We have to look more at the skin in your face in order to truly manage dry eye,” the doctor said.
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Bowen encourages everyone to get routine eye exams, particularly those with dry eye symptoms. As the condition is progressive and will worsen with time, it’s important to “get ahead” of it, she said.
“It’s not going to get better if you’re not treating the inflammation,” Bowen added.
Anti-inflammatory eye drops are used to help stop the immune system from “shutting down tear production,” which can help with dry eye, according to experts. (iStock)
Making lifestyle changes — like eating a well-rounded diet that includes anti-inflammatory foods and exercising regularly — can also help, Cunningham said.
“A little bit of caffeine will help dry eye, but a lot of caffeine makes it way worse,” the expert noted, while drinking water doesn’t seem to have an impact.
Cunningham added, “Getting on things early and stopping the progression is the key.”
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A popular class of weight-loss drugs may prevent life-threatening cardiac complications by opening microscopic blood vessels that often remain blocked after a heart attack, according to a study published this week in Nature Communications.
The research, led by the University of Bristol and University College London, identified a biological brain-gut-heart signaling pathway.
This discovery appears to explain how GLP-1 drugs — which mimic glucagon-like peptide-1, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar and appetite — protect heart tissue from a condition known as “no-reflow.”
“In nearly half of all heart attack patients, tiny blood vessels within the heart muscle remain narrowed, even after the main artery is cleared during emergency medical treatment,” Dr. Svetlana Mastitskaya, the study’s lead author and a senior lecturer at Bristol Medical School, said in a press release.
“This results in a complication known as ‘no-reflow,’ where blood is unable to reach certain parts of the heart tissue.”
In nearly half of all heart attack patients, tiny capillaries (blood vessels) remain narrowed even after the main blocked artery is cleared. (iStock)
This lack of blood flow increases the risk of heart failure and death within a year. GLP-1 medications could prevent this, according to the researchers.
How it works
When the GLP-1 hormone is released in the gut or administered as a drug, it sends a signal to the brain, which then sends a signal to the heart that switches on special potassium channels in tiny cells called pericytes.
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When these channels open, the pericytes relax, which allows the small blood vessels (capillaries) to widen and improve blood flow to the heart muscle, the researchers noted.
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The new study used animal models and cellular imaging to track how GLP-1 interacts with heart tissue. When the researchers removed the potassium channels, the drugs no longer protected the heart — confirming they play a key role.
The findings suggest that existing GLP-1 medications, already used for type 2 diabetes and obesity, could be repurposed as emergency treatments. (iStock)
The findings suggest that existing GLP-1 medications, already used for type 2 diabetes and obesity, could be repurposed as emergency treatments during or immediately after a heart attack to reduce tissue damage.
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The researchers noted several limitations, including that the study relied on animal models.
Clinical trials are necessary to determine whether the brain-gut-heart pathway operates with the same timing and efficacy in humans.
While the study highlights the drug’s immediate benefits during a heart attack, it des not establish whether long-term use of these drugs provides a pre-existing level of protection. (iStock)
Additionally, while the study highlights the drug’s immediate benefits during a heart attack, it does not establish whether long-term use of the medication provides a pre-existing level of protection.
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The research was primarily funded by the British Heart Foundation.
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Collagen supplements have exploded in popularity, touted as everything from an anti-aging miracle to a muscle recovery booster.
But a sweeping new review conducted by U.K. researchers suggests that while collagen may help improve skin elasticity and ease arthritis pain, it does little for athletic performance or wrinkle reduction.
Researchers from Anglia Ruskin University analyzed 16 systematic reviews and 113 randomized controlled trials involving nearly 8,000 participants worldwide, which they say is the most extensive evaluation of collagen’s health effects to date.
The review found consistent evidence that collagen supplementation improves skin elasticity and hydration over time and provides significant relief from osteoarthritis-related joint pain and stiffness, according to findings published in Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum.
A large U.K. review found that collagen supplements may improve skin elasticity and hydration over time. (iStock)
The researchers, however, did not find meaningful improvements in post-exercise muscle recovery, soreness or tendon mechanical properties (strength, springiness and stretch resistance).
“Collagen is not a cure-all, but it does have credible benefits when used consistently over time, particularly for skin and osteoarthritis,” co-author Lee Smith, professor of public health at Anglia Ruskin University, said in a statement.
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“Our findings show clear benefits in key areas of healthy aging, while also dispelling some of the myths surrounding its use,” Smith added.
Collagen, the most abundant protein in the body, supports skin, bones, tendons, cartilage and connective tissue, according to experts. Natural collagen production begins to drop in early adulthood and declines more sharply with age.
The study found that collagen supplements may help reduce joint pain and stiffness in people with osteoarthritis. (iStock)
The review found that long-term collagen supplementation was linked to improved skin firmness and hydration, but did not help skin roughness — a proxy for visible wrinkles.
Benefits appear to accumulate gradually, suggesting that collagen should not be viewed as an “anti-wrinkle ‘quick fix,’ but as a foundational dermal support for individuals seeking holistic skin maintenance,” the researchers said.
“If we define anti-aging as a product or technique designed to prevent the appearance of getting older, then I believe our findings do support this claim for some parameters,” Smith told the BBC. “For example, an improvement in skin tone and moisture is associated with a more youthful-looking appearance.”
Collagen supplementation was linked to reduced pain and stiffness in people with osteoarthritis, with stronger benefits seen over longer periods of use, and showed modest improvements in muscle mass and tendon structure that may support healthy aging.
Collagen did not significantly improve skin roughness, a marker of visible wrinkles. (iStock)
However, it did not show meaningful results when used as a fast-acting sports performance supplement, and evidence for benefits related to cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure and oral health was mixed or inconclusive.
Dr. Daniel Ghiyam, a California-based physician and longevity specialist, said the findings align with what he sees in clinical practice.
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“Collagen is a targeted support tool, not a foundation of health or performance,” Ghiyam, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. “When marketed that way, it makes sense. When marketed as a cure-all, it doesn’t hold up to the data.”
The authors noted that while many previous collagen studies have received financial support from the supplement industry, the current review did not receive industry funding.
Experts say collagen supplements may offer modest benefits for skin hydration and joint comfort, but they are not a cure-all. (iStock)
The team called for more high-quality clinical trials examining long-term outcomes, optimal dosages and differences between collagen sources, such as marine, bovine and plant-based alternatives.
Among its limitations, the review could not determine whether certain forms of collagen work better than others or what the optimal regimen should be.
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While the review included randomized controlled trials, the quality of the studies varied, with newer research generally showing stronger results.
Experts say more data and studies are needed to build on the findings. They also noted that diet plays a crucial role in skin health.
Collagen supplements, often sold as powders or pills, may improve skin elasticity and ease joint pain, experts say. (iStock)
Dr. Erum Ilyas, a Pennsylvania-based dermatologist and chair of dermatology at Drexel University College of Medicine, noted that the review analyzed previously published meta-analyses rather than generating new primary data.
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“At this time, I have not seen sufficiently strong independent evidence to routinely recommend collagen supplements to my patients,” Ilyas, who was not involved in the review, told Fox News Digital.
“Although some studies show modest improvements in markers such as hydration and elasticity, there remains limited independent, biopsy-confirmed evidence demonstrating sustained increases in dermal collagen content,” she added.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the researchers for comment.
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As colorectal cancer (CRC) is now the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50, a new report reveals some surprising shifts in the incidence of the disease.
Although rates of CRC have been declining among seniors, those 65 and under are facing a rise in diagnoses, according to a report titled Colorectal Cancer Statistics, 2026, from the American Cancer Society.
Adults 65 and younger comprise nearly half (45%) of all new colorectal cancer cases — a significant increase from 27% in 1995, states the report, which was published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
The disease is rising fastest among adults 20 to 49 years old, at a rate of 3% per year.
Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50. (iStock)
Among adults 50 and under, 75% of colorectal cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Half of the diagnoses in that age range are made between the ages of 45 and 49. Although that age group is eligible to receive routine screenings, just 37% do so.
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The report also revealed that rectal cancer is on the rise, now accounting for about one-third (32%) of all CRC cases — an increase from 27% in the mid-2000s.
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“After decades of progress, the risk of dying from colorectal cancer is climbing in younger generations of men and women, confirming a real uptick in disease because of something we’re doing or some other exposure,” said Rebecca Siegel, senior scientific director, surveillance research at the American Cancer Society and lead author of the report, in a press release.
Among adults 50 and under, 75% of colorectal cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Half of the diagnoses in that age range are made between the ages of 45 and 49. (iStock)
“We need to redouble research efforts to understand the cause, but also circumvent deaths through earlier detection by educating clinicians and the general public about symptoms and increasing screening in people 45-54 years.”
It is projected that 158,850 new cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed this year, and that the disease will cause 55,230 deaths, per the report.
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More than half of CRC cases can be linked to high-risk behaviors, the researchers said. Those include lack of nutrition, high alcohol consumption, smoking, lack of exercise and obesity.
“These findings further underscore that colorectal cancer is worsening among younger generations and highlight the immediate need for eligible adults to begin screening at the recommended age of 45,” said Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer at the American Cancer Society.
When the disease is caught at a local (early) stage, the five-year survival rate is 95%. (iStock)
“The report also shines a light on the crucial importance of continued funding for research to help discover new therapies to treat the disease and advance patient care.”
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When the disease is caught at a local (early) stage, the five-year survival rate is 95%, the report stated.
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