Tips for relief from dry eye

Tears provide moisture and lubrication to help you see and keep your peepers comfortable.

What’s in a tear? They’re a mix of:

  • Water, for moisture
  • Oils, for lubrication
  • Mucus, for even spreading
  • Antibodies and special proteins that keep infection at bay

The ingredients come from special glands around your eye. Dry eyes often mean your tear system is out of whack.

When tears don’t provide enough moisture, you might notice:

  • A gritty feeling
  • Feeling like there’s something in your eye
  • Itching
  • Redness
  • Blurry vision
  • Light sensitivity

Sometimes, dry eyes create too many tears. This confusing condition is called reflex tearing. It happens because the lack of moisture irritates your eye. It sends a distress signal through your nervous system for more lubrication. Your body sends a flood of tears to try to make up for the dryness. It’s a lot like what happens when you get sand in your eye and it runs. But these tears are mostly water, so they don’t act like normal tears. They can wash debris away, but they can’t coat your eye’s surface.

What causes dry eyes?

Sometimes, there’s a lack of balance in your tear-flow system. Or your air conditioner, heater, or other things around you could dry out your tear film. Other causes include:

  • The natural aging process, especially menopause
  • Side effects of certain drugs like antihistamines
  • Diseases that affect your ability to make tears, like Sjogren’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and collagen vascular diseases
  • Problems that don’t allow your eyelids to close the way they should.

Dry eye is more than just uncomfortable. It can hurt your vision. Treatments and some simple actions can bring welcome relief to your sore eyes.

Add more tears

Your natural tears bathe and soothe your eyes every time you blink. If you don’t make enough tears or they evaporate too quickly, your eyes get dry. They can get infected and the surface of your eye can get damaged if dry eye isn’t treated.

Water, oil, and mucus make up healthy tears. Eye drops called artificial tears mimic your real ones. They’re usually what doctors suggest first. You can choose from lots of over-the-counter brands at the drugstore. You may have to try a few before you find one that works for you.

Drops come with or without preservatives. If you use artificial tears four or more times a day, choose one without. Preservatives can irritate your eyes.

Artificial tears also come in thicker gels and ointments. Use these if the regular drops don’t do the trick. Use them before bed because the thick liquid can blur your vision

Prescription meds

Sometimes, artificial tears aren’t enough and dry eye is long-lasting (chronic). Your doctor may suggest cyclosporine (Cequa, Restasis) drops. This medicine helps make more of your own tears by calming inflammation in the tear glands.

You’ll use it twice a day. It may take up to 6 months to work, but initially may cause some irritation.

A new eye drop called lifitegrast (Xiidra) also curbs inflammation and can improve signs and symptoms of dry eye. You use these drops twice a day, too. You may get relief in as little as 2 weeks.

If your dry eye is serious, you might need steroid eye drops to ease inflammation quickly. You’ll use these for just a short time.

Plug your tear ducts

Your eye doctor may suggest blocking your tear ducts so your eyes stay moist longer. Tiny plugs are put into the ducts at the inside corner of your eyes. These slow down tears from draining into your nose. Instead, they stay on the surface of your eye. The plugs can be taken out later or left in long term.

Or your doctor may recommend surgery to permanently close the ducts.

Change your diet

Flax oil – omega-3 fatty acids – may help dry eye in some people. It can help the glands that make the oily part of tears work better. Oil in tears keeps them from evaporating too quickly.

Warm your peepers

Sometimes, the oil glands at the edge of your lids get inflamed and clogged with hardened oil. Heat can melt it so it can flow freely again. Apply a warm wet washcloth to the area for 30 seconds up to 4 minutes. Do this twice a day when you have symptoms and once a day to keep the problem from coming back.

Eye massage

This can help push the inflamed melted oil out of the glands. Here’s how to do it:

  • With your eyes closed, gently massage your lids by rolling your index finger in a circular motion
  • Or get a cotton swab and roll it down your upper lid toward the lashes and the edge of the lid
  • To massage the lower lids, move your finger or swab up toward your lash line
  • Repeat this 5-10 times.

Clean your lids

This can get rid of dried oil or other gunk that’s blocking the gland. Dip a cotton swab into diluted baby shampoo and gently clean along the lash line on your top and bottom lids. Do this once a day. There are also over the counter eyelid cleaners like OcuSoft lid scrubs that you can use.

Add moisture

Use a humidifier to add moisture to indoor air –  especially during the winter. Your eyes won’t dry out as quickly.

Lessen your screen time

Using your computer, smartphone, or tablet can dry out your peepers. That’s because you blink less when your eyes are fixed onto a screen.

Follow the 20/20/20 rule. Take a 20-second break from your digital device every 20 minutes and look at something 20 feet away.

Use artificial tears if you feel symptoms of dry eye while using your devices.

Change your contacts

If your contact lenses make your eyes feel dry, your doctor may switch to a different kind. Or they may suggest wearing them for fewer hours. You may need to wear glasses if the dryness is serious.

Shade your eyes

Wind and the sun can zap moisture from your eyes. Wear wraparound sunglasses to protect them from the elements.

Source: WEBMD, WEBMD

About STELLAPHARM

Stellapharm is one of leading generics pharmaceutical companies and strong producer of anti-viral drugs in Vietnam. The company established in Vietnam in 2000; and focuses on both prescription drugs and non-prescription especially in cardiovascular diseases, antiviral drugs, anti-diabetics drugs, etc. and our products are now used by millions of patients in more than 50 countries worldwide.

The company is globally recognized for its quality through our facilities have been audited and approved by stringent authority like EMA, PMDA, Taiwan GMP, local WHO and others.

Additional information for this article: Stellapharm J.V. Co., Ltd. – Branch 1
A: 40 Tu Do Avenue, Vietnam – Singapore Industrial Park, An Phu Ward, Thuan An City, Binh Duong Province, Vietnam
T: +84 274 376 7470 | F: +84 274 376 7469 | E: info@stellapharm.com | W: www.stellapharm.com

You May like

30 Nov 2022

Lão hóa miễn dịch và cách chống lại tình trạng này

Theo tuổi tác, hệ miễn dịch của chúng ta trở nên kém hiệu quả hơn trong việc đối phó với các tình trạng nhiễm trùng cũng như kém đáp ứng với việc chủng ngừa. Đồng thời, hệ miễn dịch lão hóa có mối liên hệ với tình trạng viêm mạn tính, từ đó làm tăng

30 Nov 2022

IMMUNE AGING AND HOW TO COMBAT IT

With age, the human immune system becomes less effective at tackling infections and less responsive to vaccinations. At the same time, the aging immune system is associated with chronic inflammation, which increases the risk of almost all conditions linked to old age. The good news is that exercising and adopting the right diet may help