How To Treat Dry Eyes

How To Treat Dry Eyes

When the temperature is bitter and the air is crisp, you may feel like your eyelids blinking rarely bring the tears you expect. As winter progresses into early spring, you may feel like you never stop scratching your eyes. Without relief, dry, itchy eyes can affect your life and your mood. There may be more to your dry eyes than just weather, pollen, and mountain air. In this article, we will discuss common causes of dry eyes, how to prevent or treat those causes, and how to determine when it is time to see an optometrist.

What Causes Dry Eyes?

If you are suffering from dry eyes, you are potentially at risk of experiencing eye damage and infection. Symptoms of having dry eyes including:

  • Redness in or around the whites of your eyes
  • Light sensitivity or blurry vision
  • The frequent feeling of sand or an eyelash in your eye
  • Pain or discomfort when wearing contacts
  • Itchy, watery eyes

Your eyes rely on tears for more than just communicating emotion during sappy movies and television shows. Made from a combination of water, oil, mucus, and antibodies, tears protect and lubricate your eyes for movement. If you are suffering from dry eyes, either your tears are evaporating too quickly, or you are producing too few or too many tears. There are many potential causes for dry eyes, including:

  1. Autoimmune disorders
  2. Seasonal and household allergies
  3. Dry air indoors and outside
  4. Excessive screen time (computers, television, phones, etc.)
  5. Smoke from tobacco, fire, etc.
  6. Advancing age
  7. Antihistamines and decongestants
  8. Hormonal changes
  9. Nutrition and sleep depravity
  10. Diabetes, Lupus, and other medical conditions

If any of these potential causes are applicable to you, or if you can identify the source of your dry eyes, you may be able to experience relief without visiting the doctor.

How Do You Treat Dry Eyes?

Eliminating the source of your dry eyes may help you produce the right amount of tears to experience relief from the itching and discomfort. Potential for dry eyes solutions include:

  • Reduce your exposure to wind and dry air
  • Use a humidifier at home
  • Identify and remove indoor allergens like mold and mildew
  • Vacuum carpets often
  • Spend less time around cigarette smoke
  • Reduce screen time and introduce computer breaks
  • Utilize drops or lubricants as directed by your optometrist
  • Sleep seven to eight hours per night
  • Practice proper eye-health nutrition

Add these things to your diet to help improve your tear production:

  • Green leafy vegetables
  • 8 glasses of water per day
  • Saffron
  • Cayenne
  • Green Tea
  • Tumeric
  • Garlic
  • Grass-fed meats.
  • Fish/seafood.
  • Fresh fruits.
  • Fresh vegetables.
  • Eggs.
  • Nuts.
  • Seeds.
  • Healthy oils (olive, walnut, flaxseed, macadamia, avocado, coconut)

When Should You See Your Eye Doctor?

Regular exams are vital for maintaining healthy eyes, so if you have not seen your optometrist in a while, schedule an appointment. Furthermore, if you have reduced potential eye irritants from your environment and your dry eyes are not improving, you should see your eye doctor. Your optometrist can help you identify irritants that you may not have notices and provide proper treatments. Do not scour the internet for an eye moisture miracle without first speaking with a trusted local doctor. If you would like to know more about our practice, contact us.

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