Top 5 Questions and Answers We Get Asked About Your Dry Eye
What Causes Dry Eye?
Dry Eyes can be caused by a number of things. Environmental factors like wind or smoke are obvious irritants. Aging and certain medications can cause physiological changes that also contribute to eyes being dry. Contact lenses and eye surgeries also are on the list, along with increased screen time and reduced blinking.
The thing you might find interesting is that not all people who have dry eyes are aware of it. In high winds or smoke I’m sure we’ve all experienced the bothersome symptoms of hardly being able to keep our eyes open or excessive tearing as our eyes try to compensate. But in everyday life many people don’t realise that excessive tearing is still the same body response when their eyes can’t seem to hold moisture onto their eyeball. Despite the fact that their eyes always seem to be tearing up they have dry eye disease.
Or contact lens wearers unsure of why their contacts keep popping out spontaneously (hello dryness.) These folks also have decreased sensation in their eyes and might not even feel how dry they have gotten. This is a risk because that dryness can lead to abrasions and potential ulcers. Eye surgeries like Lasik also contribute to decreased sensation and high risks for dry eye disease.
Aging is a big one that none of us can escape. As we age and our eye tissues suffer age-related changes.The glands that produce oil and hold the tear film (moisture) on the eye slow down or stop working altogether which can result in very uncomfortable and damaging results to the eye itself.
How Can I Treat Dry Eyes Naturally At Home?
Good news - There are a few at home remedies that you can try! Most of these provide limited relief and have to be repeated daily. They can be a good way to manage symptoms until you can see a provider who can help.
Relief can include using warm compresses over your eyes. The heat helps to soften the oil glands and perhaps get a little more moisture holding power in your eyes. The warm compresses also trap moisture and humidity which are a big relief to the dryness.
Another beneficial at-home therapy is eyelid hygiene. Although it isn’t talked about as much as teeth-brushing, softly scrubbing the eyelid with a warm, wet, clean cloth can help to get rid of make-up, debris, and exfoliate the eyelid margin (helping your body to sluff off the dead skin cells).
Artificial tears can help to provide extra moisture. Keep reading to find out what you are looking for when shopping for these!
Adding extra humidity to your environment can also be helpful. Try a humidifier at home to help supplement moisture and ease symptoms.
If recommended by your provider, Omega 3 supplements can help your body to help itself.
The last at-home tactic you can employ is consciously blinking and taking screen breaks. Looking at screens we actually blink less than going about life in other ways. Optometrists like the 20/20/20 rule for people to follow. Every 20 minutes look up 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Can Dry Eyes Cause Blurry Vision?
The short answer is yes! Your eyes are used to having adequate moisture and your vision system works best in a moist environment with the way light is focused. When your eyes are lacking moisture it’s harder for the visual system to function optimally and blurry vision can occur.
If you are experiencing sudden or new blurry vision, or other visual disturbances you should consult an eye doctor to check out what is happening and ensure nothing more serious is happening.
What Are The Best Eye Drops for Dry Eye?
Dr. Lawson recommends brand name, preservative free eye drops. (There has been compromised quality in various generic brands recently that have led to a number of eye infections and serious consequences.) In our office we use the Systane brand. These will provide some moisture and lubrication and help with symptoms. There are other prescription options available. We recommend that you can come in for an evaluation to see if they might be right for your circumstances.
Is Dry Eye a Serious Condition?
Yes, absolutely. The thought that dry eyes are merely a nuisance is a misconception. When the eyes are dry they aren’t functioning well. The surface of the cornea is at risk for abrasions and ulcers. Dry eyes can lead to increased eye infections and visual problems. It is often a chronic process that leads to worsened symptoms as time goes on. Our best treatment is prevention of the disease progressing further. At Eyes On You we have cutting edge technology that has been scientifically proven to help the glands that produce oil jump started. We stimulate these glands using radio frequency which helps them to produce oil and hold tear film more effectively on the eye surface. We also have IPL (intense pulse light) that we use for dry-eye treatment which decreases inflammation that dry eye can cause. Often this inflammatory process is a result of a medication condition (such as rosacea) which the IPL also treats and helps to control.
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