Dry eyes happen when the tears cannot provide adequate moisture for the eyes. Inadequacy of tears can happen if the person does not produce enough or the person produces poor-quality tears. Dry eyes may cause stinging or burning sensation in the eyes. A person experiences this condition when inside an airplane, inside an air-conditioned room, looking at the computer screen for several hours and riding a bike.
[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn6iA6lLeQU” width=”220″]Treatments for dry eyes include changes in lifestyle and application of eye drops. In case of severe dry eyes, surgery is the remedy. If you want to learn how to relieve the symptoms of dry eyes, click here.
Symptoms of dry eyes
- The person experiences eye fatigue, redness of the eyes and sensitivity to light
- A stinging, burning and scratchy sensation in the eyes
- The person has difficulty wearing contact lenses
- There are times in which the person has excessive tearing
- A sensation that something is inside the eyes
- Increased eye irritation when exposed to smoke and winds
- Stringy mucus found in and around the eyes
- Blurred vision, sometimes may become worst at the end of the day or after focusing for a prolonged period of time
Causes of dry eyes
Oil, water and mucus are the three basic layers of the tear film. Any problems that happen in any of these layers can trigger the dry eyes symptoms.
- The oil glands do not produce enough oil, causing the watery level to evaporate and then causing dry eyes. This condition is quite prevalent among people whose Meibomian glands are blocked.
- The middle layers contains a little bit of salt that is produced by the lacrimal glands also known as tear glands. It cleans the eyes and some foreign particles in the eyes or other irritants. When the eyes produce inadequate amounts of water, it will cause the oil and mucous layers to touch each other and causing a stringy discharge.
- The inner layer of mucus helps in the spreading of tears over the surface of the eyes, and there is not enough mucus in the eyes, dry spots can occur on the front of the eye also known as the cornea.
Treatment and home remedies of dry eyes
- If the person experiences mild or occasional dry eyes symptoms, apply over-the-counter eye drops and medicine for eyelid washing.
- Mild dry eyes can be minimized by over-the-counter artificial tears.
- Wash the eyelid especially for people suffering from blepharitis and other conditions that will cause inflammation that cause blockage of oil to the eye.
Steps to follow in washing the eyelids
- Applying a warm washcloth to the eyes, and place it over the eyes for five minutes, rewet the cloth when it becomes cool. Then gently rub it over the eyelids to loosen the debris.
- Put a mild soap on clean fingertips and massage the closed eyes near the base of the eyelashes, then rinse the soap completely.
- Do this procedure everyday even when the person does not have symptoms of dry eyes.
Prevention of dry eyes
- Have a humidifier since it can help give moisture to the dry indoor air.
- Avoid the direct blowing of air into eyes like car heaters, hair dryers, air conditioners as well as electric fans
- The person wears wrap-around glasses or an eyeglass shields to block the winds and dry air from getting into the eyes.