What Can You Do To Reduce Dry Eyes

Dry eyes occur when your tear glands don’t produce enough tears to lubricate your eyes. This condition can be uncomfortable and painful. Dry eye syndrome can be a temporary or chronic condition. Chronic dry eye occurs when your eyes can’t produce enough tears for a long time. This may be because your tears are evaporating too quickly or there is inflammation in or around the eye.

Temporary dry eye is often caused by environmental factors. You may see symptoms from wearing contact lenses too long or being in a dry environment. Temporary dry eyes are usually easily treated with artificial tears or eye drops to soothe the eyes.

Dry Eye Syndrome

Dry eye syndrome is a general term used to describe dry eyes caused by either poor quality tears or diminished tear production. The symptoms include:

• a scratchy, dry, and painful sensation in both your eyes.
• You feel like something is in your eyes.
• eye redness
• Mucus in or around your eyes
• light sensitivity
• fatigued eyes
• Blurred vision

Risks for dry eyes can range from: aging, wrong medication, certain medical conditions, environmental factors, contacts to allergies and eye negligence. There are however, a number of solutions to dry eyes and you need to visit your doctor to get your eyes back on track.

Remedies for Dry Eyes

Change your environment– environmental factors are a common cause of dry eyes. Avoid cigarette smoke, and try to stay indoors when it’s windy. Be sure to use appropriate eyewear to protect your eyes from the wind when engaging in activities that push wind, dust, or debris in your eyes. It may also be helpful to moisturize the air by getting a humidifier.

Supplement your diet with fatty acids– experts have discovered that eating more omega-3 fatty acids may relieve the symptoms of dry eyes. This fat is known to reduce inflammation in the body. It may help relieve dry eyes by reducing eye inflammation, allowing for more efficient tear production and higher quality tears.

Try drops– There are a number of non-prescription products for dry eyes that may bring you relief. Eye drops (artificial tears) can bring you temporary relief since most of them contain preservatives to prevent bacterial growth once a vial is opened. If your eyes react badly to drops with preservatives, you should use preservative-free drops.

Ointments– these are thicker than drops and are designed to coat the eyeball and provide longer-term relief from dryness. However, these can impair your vision if not used according to instructions.

Rest your eyes—frequent reading, TV watching, and computer use can dry out your eyes. It is important to take breaks so your eyes can regain some of their moisture. Also, make use of computer glasses if available. Dry eyes are usually temporary and are a natural part of aging for most people. But in some cases, the condition is caused by something more serious, go see a doctor if this syndrome bothers you.