What is it and how to keep eyes comfortable?
We have all experienced dry eyes. You go to a ball game on a hot, windy day. By the time you reach home, your eyes feel raw. Or you go to a party where clouds of cigarette smoke loom over the guests. Maybe you wear your contact lenses longer than you expected, or spend several hours sitting at a computer without blinking. The result: tired, dry eyes.
Anything in the environment that irritates the eyes can cause temporary dryness. Not blinking frequently can also dry out your eyes. Whenever you engage in an intense activity, such as reading, working on a computer, making crafts or sewing, you blink less often. The more often you blink, the more dry your eyes become.
Every time we blink (automatically, about every 5 seconds) our efficient eye cleaning system takes over. The glands under the eyelids continuously release tears. Then, like a windshield wiper, the eyelids shed the tear evenly over the surface of the eye. Dust and debris is cleared and eyes are comfortably moisturized. Eye hospital near me
To treat environmental causes of dryness, doctors recommend:
* Wear wraparound sunglasses when you go out to protect your eyes from the wind.
* Taking a break from reading or doing close work so that the eyes can re-moisturize.
* Adjusting your computer monitor so that it is just below eye level.
*Avoid smoking places.
When eyes are always dry
For some people, dry eye is chronic. This is not due to the environment, but due to the inability of the eyes to produce enough tears. Sometimes dry eye results when the eyes produce poor quality tears that evaporate too quickly. If the tear mixture of water, oil and mucus isn't quite right, you may have chronic dry eye.
Dry eye syndrome is a common problem. According to the National Eye Institute, about 5 million Americans age 50 and older are estimated to have dry eyes. Millions of additional people have mild symptoms.
Chronic dry eye syndrome can occur at any age, and in people who are otherwise healthy. However, it is most common in people over the age of 40. As we get older, we all produce fewer tears. Without enough tears to moisturize the eyes, they can become dry and irritated easily. Post-menopausal women are at greatest risk because of the decrease in their hormone levels.
Other people at risk include contact lens wearers and have had surgery on their eyes or eyelids. Dry eye can be caused by some disease. Or it may occur as a side effect of certain medications.
Most people with dry eye are uncomfortable, but they do not have any vision loss or other complications. However, if left untreated, symptoms can worsen over time, resulting in inflammation, infection, or damage to the eye. Best Eye Hospital in jaipur
talk to your eye care provider
If your eyes are dry even after the source of the irritation is gone, contact your eye doctor. Tell him if you have any of these symptoms:
*Loss of ability to see well
* prickling or burning sensation
* Feeling dry, gritty or sore
*Itching, redness or rash
* Eye fatigue after reading for a short time
* sensitivity to light, smoke or wind
*Blurred or double vision
Your doctor will choose treatment based on the symptoms you describe and the special tear tests. For one test, a dye is put in your eye to make the tears more visible. By viewing them in a special light, doctors can find out if a chemical imbalance is preventing tears in the eyes.
Your provider may also measure the speed at which your eyes produce tears by placing a paper wick over your eyelid to collect moisture.
soothing remedy
There are several ways to treat chronically dry eyes:
artificial tears. Over-the-counter eye drops are the most common treatment. If you have chronic dry eye, it is important to keep using the drops even while your eyes are healing, to keep them lubricated. Keep in mind that eye drops that promise to "red out" will not cure dryness. If your eyes get dry while you sleep, you can use a thicker lubricant, such as ointment, at night.
Prescription Eye Drops. A solution called Restasis soothes the eyes and can help increase tear production.
dietary supplements. Some doctors recommend that their dry eye patients take omega-3 nutritional supplements, which can change the chemical makeup of your tears. It helps if your tear mixture isn't quite right, which causes tears to evaporate too quickly.
Moisturizing insert. A small insert filled with lubricant can be placed right under the lower eyelid, where it provides relief from all-day dryness.
Tear-duct plug. To prevent tears from flowing out of the eyes too quickly, small temporary or permanent plugs may be placed in the tear ducts.
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