Are your eyes itchy, red, sore, gritty, sensitive to light, and causing blurry vision? These are some of the common symptoms of dry eyes. Dry eyes are prevalent in individuals who wear contact lenses, spend considerable time glued to computer screens, work in air-conditioned environments, are smokers, and are above 50 years old. You could also experience dry eye concerns when in a dusty, dry, windy, or cold environment. Medical conditions such as blepharitis also increase the chances of dry eyes. Some medications, such as blood pressure medication and antidepressants, could also lead to dry eyes. A visit to Stephen M. Wolchok MD can help you learn the cause of dry eyes, treatment, and management options. This can help deal with the uncomfortable symptoms and their impact on vision and quality of life. If you are struggling with dry eyes, here are a few remedies that can help.
1. Your diet
Diet is at the heart of healthy living, touching every organ, the eyes included. Your diet impacts the glands responsible for making oily components of the tears. The oily component keeps the tears from evaporating, which can help manage dry eyes. Reconsidering your diet and increasing your intake of items such as those rich in omega-3 fatty acids can help the glands, easing the symptoms.
2. Massage
Dry eyes could be due to inflamed melted oil trapped in the glands. Gentle massage can help push the oil out of the glands and alleviate the dry eye symptoms. Close your eyes and roll your index finger in a circular motion to gently massage it, repeating the process a few times for better results.
3. Warm the eyes
Like massage, warming the eyes helps push the hardened oil from the glands. The hardening causes the gland’s edges to clog and become inflamed. The warming can help melt it and facilitate better flow. You can easily warm the eyes using a washcloth and gently massaging the area. You can do it whenever the dry eye symptoms hit or a few times a day to keep the oil from hardening.
4. Artificial tears
Dry eyes could be due to small or poor tear quality. This is prevalent as you age. You can improve this by using artificial tears. They mimic the natural tears, including thickness, meaning they won’t evaporate fast and leave your eyes dry.
5. Prescription medication
Prescription medication can help calm the inflammation in the tear glands. This can promote more tears production, alleviating dry eye symptoms.
6. Contact lens
Contact lenses help correct many vision issues but could be the cause of your dry eye symptoms. Visiting your doctor for a change, such as using disposable options, can help manage the symptoms. The doctor could also recommend limiting the hour the lenses are worn or switching to glasses.
7. Screen time
Taking regular breaks away from the screens is advised with or without dry eye symptoms. This is because you are likely to blink less when glued to the screen, which can dry the eyes much faster.
Dry eyes can significantly impact your vision and how you manage activities of daily living. Contact Wolchok Eye Associates, PA, today for dry eye diagnosis and treatment.
