Are My Dry Eyes Treatable?
March 14th, 2022
Are you tired of living with dry, itchy eyes? Are you starting to wonder if there is a way to treat them and reduce your symptoms?
The first step to treating dry eye is to visit your eye doctor so they can find the cause. Keep reading to learn if your dry eyes are treatable!
What Causes Dry Eye?
Your eyes can become dry and irritated due to allergies, dry air, eye strain, infection, injury, and many other factors. A complete eye exam can help rule out any eye conditions, environmental factors, or eye strain that could be causing your symptoms.
Allergy Medication
If you suffer from seasonal allergies and typically take a nasal decongestant, your dry eyes may be a side effect of this medicine. Although they relieve your sneezing and runny nose, oral antihistamines can make your eyes dry.
Digital Eye Strain
When you spend more than two hours a day looking at your computer, phone, Kindle, or even your television, you risk straining your eyes. Do you often have headaches or blurred vision in addition to your dry eyes?
These could all be symptoms of digital eye strain. You can take preventive measures to help alleviate dry eye symptoms caused by digital eye strain.
Start by setting the alarm to remind you to take breaks from the computer. It is important to stretch and move around throughout your workday.
Blinking exercises may help alleviate some of your symptoms. You can also try to implement the 20-20-20 rule as often as possible. Take 20-seconds to look at something 20-feet away every 20 minutes.
Dry Eye Syndrome
Dry eye syndrome is a common eye condition that is often chronic in adults. Dry eye syndrome occurs when your eyes do not produce enough tears, or the tears created are not of good quality.
Your tears are made of oil, water, and mucus. Your eyes need all three of these components to be healthy and hydrated.
If there is a problem with one of the glands producing the components of your tears, you may experience dry eye syndrome. Some symptoms of dry eye syndrome are burning, light sensitivity, redness, blurry vision, and itching.
If dry eye syndrome is the cause of your symptoms, your eye doctor can diagnose you and develop a treatment plan. Treatment varies from person to person but may involve using prescription eye drops.
Natural Ways to Alleviate Your Dry Eyes
There are some diet and lifestyle changes that you can implement to help alleviate your symptoms. Your eye doctor may recommend using
artificial tear eye drops multiple times a day to help lubricate your eyes.
They might also ask you to use a humidifier to add moisture into the air, which will help your eyes stay hydrated. Your eye doctor may recommend switching your medications if any of them are known to cause dry eye.
Both vitamin A and omega-3s help your eyes stay healthy and lubricated. Adding them to your diet may improve your symptoms.
Schedule a Complete Eye Exam
It is essential to have a comprehensive eye exam to check for any underlying issues and ensure appropriate treatment for your dry eyes.
Your dry eyes may be a symptom of your environment, your prescriptions, dry eye syndrome, infection, or even your age.
However, dry eyes can be a symptom of other health conditions in the body, like an autoimmune disorder or a virus. Your eye doctor will find the root of the problem and work with you to help improve your symptoms.
Are you ready to relieve your dry eye symptoms? Schedule an appointment at the Laser Eye Center in Huntsville, AL, today!
