Experiencing dry eyes frequently can be an effect of several reasons. For those who are constantly bugged by this problem, it is important to have a closer look into their habits. That way, they can identify which of their actions cause the eyes to have insufficient lubrication.
If you are a dry eye sufferer we also encourage you to keep up with the latest research that is brought to us by dry eye patients for dry eye patients! The blog is outstanding. Go to: http://australiandryeye.webs.com/apps/blog/
If you are also troubled by dry eyes, here are some of the things which you can consider.
Insufficient Eye Relaxation
Just like any other part of the body, the eyes also need to have sufficient amount of rest. This means getting enough sleep for recovery and taking breaks when doing eye straining activities. When focusing on details, the muscles of the eyes exert so much effort too which could make it tired and stressed. The same goes for frequently staying up late. Hence, the tear glands are unable to produce enough lubrication for the eyes, causing it to become dry. This is especially true with excessive computer use. Typically computer users blink significantly less, which predisposes them to evaporative dry eye. They are also in air-conditioning a lot of the time, which means dehumidified air. The next point talks about this issue.
Climate and Environmental Conditions
When the weather where you are living or working is dry, extremely hot or cold, then having dry eyes would be very common. Even if the glands of the eyes are producing enough amount of tears, this could evaporate too quickly. Hence, the surface of the eyes becomes grainy and itchy.
For such situations, it is necessary to wear protective glasses. That way, the tears would be preserved. Asking for prescription eye drops would be a good thing too. Just do not use it more than recommended.
Medications
Yes, common medications for other health ailments like allergies, arthritis, diabetes and others can also be the reason for recurring dry eyes. This is one of the side-effects which medications can do. The meds affect the way that the glands produce moisture and could also lower the quality of tears.
If dry eyes are experienced due to medications which need to be taken regularly, the best thing to do is to consult a physician about it. Either the doctor would have the meds replaced or a remedy for the eye’s dryness would be prescribed.
Old Age
As we age, the ability of the eyes to produce high quality tears or sufficient amount of moisture deteriorates too. That is why, dryness of the eyes can be felt by people who have reached 60 years and above. For women, this may come much sooner. The moment that their menopausal period kicks in, then the amount of tears can also be reduced. Hence, the eyes can easily become dry.
Eye Structure Problems
Unfortunately, there are some people who have trouble with the actual structure of their eyes which leads to experiencing dry eyes too often. If you are often troubled by this eye discomfort, it is recommended to consult the doctor. This could be because of a malfunctioning tear duct, error with how the tear glands work or improper blinking of the eyelids. Sometimes, these situations can only be resolved by doing surgical procedures. On the other hand, there are situations when minor eye corrections can already eliminate the structural problem so that frequent dry eyes would no longer be a problem.
At The Eye Practice we take a special interest in dry eyes because:
- It is so common
- It is the leading cause of contact lens problems
- With careful assessment we feel we can make a significant improvement in peoples lives.
Call us on (02) 9290 1899 and make an appointment to see Dr Jim Kokkinakis.
I am not sure why education about our eyes in general is so poor. The government has done a great job about educating the general public about macular degeneration – why? It is the leading cause of blindness in an age group over 50. This has a huge impact on our tax system and hence the government response. Dry Eyes on the other hand is far more subtle in its impact to our society, but as you say when it becomes severe and chronic it is disabling. What is also not appreciated is the significant reduction in productivity (especially in the office) using computer screens. Eye Strain (which involved dry eyes as a major contributor) when attended to properly can increase productivity in the office environment by up to 30%. Even a 5% increase in productivity would have massive implications to our economy. I have attempted to introduce eye strain and dry eye management education to many corporate entities over the years and this has fallen on deaf ears as it is perceived as a cost to the system as opposed to an investment into employee well being and productivity gains.
It is sad but a fact. It is through these types of discussions over time that behaviours can be modified for the better of all.
Dental health education has a long history as we have been suffering from dental pain for generations whereas significant dry eye syndrome I am convinced is a relatively new condition that is affecting more and more of the population. Once a critical threshold is reached I assume more action will occur – here’s hoping!
I am using OPTIVE ENDURA preservative free and SYSTANE BALANCE eye drops for evaporative dry eye but it hasn’t good results for me. ¿Are there another better eye drops option?
Mariana there are no eye drops that can replace your own natural tears properly. Eye drops if possible need to be minimised to maybe three times a day maximum. If your eyes burn or sting, then we have found the use of Thera Tears is best because they have the lowest salt content. The problem with a diagnosis of evaporative dry eye is that it often has ocular rosacea combined with it and this also needs treating. Trying to do this on the internet is impossible.