Dry eyes usually aren’t anything too serious to worry about and shouldn’t be too much of a serious problem. This, however, doesn’t mean that having dry eyes isn’t a pain to deal with on a daily basis as well as being a big inconvenience. When our eyes are most healthy, they are full of tears. This isn’t because you are crying; these tears are produced by our bodies in order to provide a good level of moisture that acts as lubrication, making it comfortable for you to see.
Symptoms
- Some of the most common dry eye symptoms include.
- Feeling itchy in and around your eyes
- Feeling sore in your eyes
- A gritty sensation like there’s dust in your eyes
- Your eyes may appear to be red
- You may suffer from blurry vision
- You might find that you are more sensitive to light
- You could feel that your eyes are more watery than normal
If you have dry eyes, this means that your cornea isn’t getting the right amount of moisture that it needs.
Glasses and contacts
If you are a sufferer of dry eyes, it’s definitely a good idea that you make sure you get the right kind of contact lenses or glasses for you. Wearing daily contact lenses can be an issue for people who suffer from a certain type of dry eyes, but if they are made of the right material, for example, Hydrogen Silicone, they can help with your symptoms and increase your comfort.
If you do wear contacts, it is very key that you make sure to do so with great care. Always make sure that you are using approved cleaning solutions. You should also be mindful of contact lens expiry dates as well as making sure you don’t wear contacts longer than instructed.
Causes of dry eyes
Some things that might make people more at risk of having dry eyes include.
- Being over 50
- Spending long periods of time looking at computers or other screens
- Wearing contact lenses
- Being in windy, dry, or dusty environments
- Smoking or drinking alcohol
- Taking some medications and experiencing dry eyes as one of their side effects, such as antihistamines
Treatment
One of the best treatments for people who suffer from dry eyes is drops. Drops are used by people to easily put artificial teardrops in your eyes, keeping them lubricated and comfortable. They are available over the counter and can be used as often as needed. There is a range of different drops available, and not all of them will work for everyone, so a case of trial and error will most likely be in order.
If you suffer from chronic dry eyes, then you will have to get into the habit of using drops even when you don’t feel it is necessary, this is done in order to maintain the right level of wetness in your eyes. If you find that you wake up with particularly dry and irritated eyes, then a thick ointment product can be used while you sleep.
