Dry Eye Syndrome
Obviously we’re all familiar with the feeling of scratchy, dry eyes than can be irritating and uncomfortable. In most of the cases this can be caused by lack of sleep and all that is needed – is a good night’s sleep. But, for others, this dry eye syndrome can be more of a chronic condition that occurs regularly when you either don’t produce enough tears to lubricate your eyes or maybe your tears are of poor quality. And perhaps ineffective in preventing irritated eyes. So, if you ever have occasional bouts of irritated or dry eyes, or if you’ve dry eye syndrome but symptoms are not severe, then just the lifestyle changes alone can help to alleviate the discomfort.
So, What’s The Cause Of This?
Common causes of Dry eye syndrome include
- Age
- Hormonal changes
- Medications like beta-blockers, antihistamines, oral contraceptives can inhibit ample tear production.
- Infrequent blinking: working on a computer, watching TV, reading or some other focal tasks can limit blinking.
- Autoimmune disorders
- Cosmetic eye surgery
- LASIK surgery
- Sun overexposure
Symptoms
- Stinging, scratching or burning sensation in your eyes
- Light sensitivity
- Watery eyes
- Mucus in or around the eyes
- Blurred vision
- Difficulty driving at night
- Difficulty wearing contact lenses
- Feeling of having something in your eye
Lifestyle changes that can beat Dry Eye Syndrome
Diet Changes
No matter what condition bothers us, the very first thing that we have to do to is check the food that we eat! It’s always good to follow a healthy diet in order to achieve a healthy lifestyle! So, opt for a diet that is enriched with omega-3 fatty acids, such as
- Fish and fish oils
- Walnuts and walnut oil
- Faxseeds and flaxseed oil
They can reduce the inflammation associated with Dry Eye Disease.
Allergens
We have to consider a number of environmental factors that can serve as the root cause or worsen your condition. Things like air conditioning, wind, that lead to tearing evaporation, the air quality, things such as dirt, dust, or smog particles that can affect eye health and humidity. The symptoms of Dry eye syndrome can come and go depending on the allergens. There is a possibility you may be particularly susceptible amid springtime allergy season or wise at your heavy air conditioned office.
So, what can you do to avoid these?
Yup, there are some easy ways to prevent this situation including
- Wear goggles outside for yard work
- Use air filters indoors is amid spring allergy season to deal with your dry eyes
- Use a humidifier in winter that can prevent the burning and irritation common in dry eye amid the colder months.
Blink
No matter if you work at a computer for 8 + hours, live in a dry environment, or watch a movie, a slow blinking rate will increase your the symptoms dry eye syndrome. Usually, under normal circumstances, your blinking rate will be 4 seconds on an average, about 15 times a minute. Even while staring at any bright screen or using the computer our blinking rate decreases by up to a 70%!
Smoking- Say a big NO to it!
Do you know that Tobacco smoke is composed of over 4,000 different chemicals that includes formaldehyde and acetone. Most people use this acetone on a daily basis which is commonly known as nail polish remover! Most of these chemicals are toxic along with either short or long-term exposure. Plenty of these toxins are aggravating in order to the eye, not to mention poisonous to eye tissue. Besides, smokers are said to be twice as likely to report complaints of dry eye symptoms as non-smokers.
Over-The-Counter (OTC) Eye Drops
You may have known this as tear drops, artificial tears or tear supplements, can be purchased without a prescription in order to lubricate the surface of your eye. In addition of providing temporary relief of Dry Eye symptoms these drops also replaces some of the lubrication which tears provide, that the eyes are not producing.
Experts say that it is important to evaluate and treat eye dryness, not only for your comfort, but also for your the health of your eyes. There are some simple treatments you can find for dry eye syndrome such as drinking eight to 10 glasses of water each day, artificial tears, blinking frequently as well as paying close attention to symptoms. It is best to work closely with your eye care provider in order to get the best relief.
