Dry Eye Treatment: A Comprehensive Guide to Relief
Dry eyes result from a faster tear evaporation rate.
This may also result from a few teardrop productions.
The condition can affect either one or both eyes.
Based on data from the National Health and Wellness Survey, approximately 16.4 million people have been diagnosed with dry eye disease.
Possible symptoms include blurred vision, eye pain or discomfort, and increased sensitivity to light.
Dry eyes range from mild to severe.
With specific lifestyle changes, you can treat dry eyes.
However, dry eye treatment may need medication or surgery in severe cases.
Read more about the diagnosis, treatment, self-care, medications, diets, and supplements for dry eye.
How might dry eyes affect you?
Dry eyes are a medical condition that includes short-term and long-term effects.
This condition can be annoying and uncomfortable.
But in addition to that, it may cause permanent vision impairment if not taken care of and managed well.
Dry eyes may also impact your lifestyle; people might face lifestyle restrictions.
They may have difficulty doing daily tasks like driving, reading, and working.
Dry eye treatment at an early stage is a necessity, or it may impact the quality of your life.
How can you treat dry eyes?
You can manage dry eyes but cannot cure them.
However, significant improvements were made with the advancements in the medical field.
Most importantly, it can bring vast differences to your quality of life.
Self-Care to prevent dry eyes
Here we have mentioned a few tips to help you prevent dry eyes.
Blink more often
Avoid staring at phones and monitors for a prolonged period.
Rest your eyes with conscious efforts for a minimum of twenty minutes.
You can also perform blinking activities after using Blephasteam or warm compress treatment.
The dry eye warm treatment is highly recommended by doctors.
Remove eye makeup
Check the ingredients present in your makeup.
Thoroughly remove makeup like foundation, eye shadow, eyeliner, and mascara.
The chemicals present in the makeup may damage the eye surface and Meibomian Glands.
Prevent dry eyes overnight
Overnight our eyes donât shut completely.
This leads to air exposure and dryness.
Silicon eye masks, like Tranquileyes, may help prevent evaporation overnight.
However, people using a CPAP machine should consult a doctor before using eye masks.
Nulids
It is an at-home treatment that takes a minute to perform.
A recent study says, Nulids clean the eyelash area and improve the clogged oil glands.
Dry eye glasses
If you want relief from dry eyes in minutes, dry eyeglasses could be a great help.
By getting wrapped around the eye sockets, they can block the sunâs UV-B and UV-A rays.
Most importantly, they can protect your eyes from dust, wind, breeze, and other particles.
Add a humidifier
Adding a humidifier to your workplace or home will add moisture to the air.
Preservative-free antihistamine eye drops
Preservative-free antihistamine eye drops may prevent itching if you have itchy eyes due to an allergy.
Avoid rubbing your eyes to reduce dryness and inflammation.
Contact lenses
Avoid the overuse of contact lenses.
Make sure to take them out before bedtime.
Prefer disposable lenses to prevent bacterial buildup.
Reduce cigarette smoking
By restricting cigarette smoking, you avoid dry eye treatment.
The toxic smoke and fumes can potentially harm your eyes.
Moreover, specific diets and supplements can also help keep your eyes nourished.
Diet and supplements for dry eye treatment
Eating healthy will ensure that your eyes get the most valuable vitamins and minerals.
You have to improve overall eye health to protect your vision.
Here we have discussed the best diet and supplements to aid dry eye treatment.
Water
Staying hydrated can improve the comfort of your eyes.
It helps in keeping your eyes moisturized and maintains the glow of your skin.
Water also helps in improving your eyesight, bowels, and kidney health.
Omega-3 fatty acids
These fatty acids are the building blocks for Meibomian gland oil.
These glands are oil glands present along the edge of eyelashes and eyelids.
These glands make oil that is an essential component for keeping eyes moist.
Omega-3 fatty acids help in maintaining the oil level.
Soybeans, Seeds, Nuts, Leafy vegetables, Fish, and Vegetable oil are good sources of omega-3s.
Vitamin D supplementation
If you work indoors, you miss out on the essence of vitamin D.
Taking vitamin D rich foods can improve your eye condition.
It can even enhance the effectiveness of artificial tears on the eyes.
Some good sources of vitamin D include red meat, liver, egg yolks, oily fish like mackerel and salmon, and cheese.
Vitamin A
It helps prospect the eye surface.
The deficiency of vitamin A leads to dry eyes.
Add foods like eggs, dairy products, carrots, and vegetables to your diet.
Zinc
The minerals present in zinc play a crucial role in keeping the eye healthy.
Some excellent sources of zinc are whole grains, legumes, meat, nuts, and dairy.
Lutein and Zeaxanthin
These antioxidants keep cells healthy and functioning correctly.
Supplementing Lutein and Zeaxanthin might prevent chronic eye diseases like dry eyes.
However, make sure to consult your doctor before taking any supplements.
Medications for Dry Eye
There are several prescription-based and over-the-counter (OTC) eye drops available.
Dry eyes medications include,
Eyelid wash
It is also known as Anterior Blepharitis.
These medications help reduce the bacteria count present around the eyelids and lashes.
In general, doctors recommend using eyelid wash at night.
Artificial tears
Artificial tears are the most common dry eye treatment options available.
It lubricates the eye and treats inflammation, dryness, and irritation.
Prescription eye drops
Eyemist Eye Drop is an artificial tear or eye lubricant used to alleviate dry eyes.
Eyemist contains Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose.
This tear instability causes inflammation and surface damage to the eye.
Maintaining sufficient lubrication of the eyes helps to alleviate the irritation and burning caused by dry eyes.
You can get Eyemist E/D 10 ml from the comforts of your home through WowRx.
Eye ointments
Overnight, you may have a small gap between your eyelids.
This is where the eyelids get exposed and turn dry.
This condition is called Lagophthalmos.
Consult your doctor for the best ointments containing vitamin A.
This can give soothing relief to your eyes overnight.
Cholinergic drugs
These are drugs that can stimulate tears by acting upon the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.
Hormone Replacement Therapy
If menopause is the underlying cause, women may benefit from HRT.
How is dry eye diagnosed?
A person has to undergo a diagnosis to know the cause of their dry eyes.
Each condition can be different and might need custom treatment.
Your Ophthalmologist or Optometrist may start with an eye test and evaluate from the following.
Comprehensive eye exam
This examination denotes the overall medical condition and lifestyle of a patient.
It also involves the examination of the eye surface and eyelids.
Assessment of the tears
The assessment measures the quality and volume of tears.
This helps to determine the type of deficiency present in your tears.
Your doctor will note the time it takes to produce tears and how long they evaporate.
Below mentioned are examples that show how tears start to evaporate.
Tear sampling under a microscope can help diagnose inflammation linked with your symptoms.
This diagnosis may include examinations like the Schirmer test.
Here blotting paper test strips are placed on the lower eyelids.
This helps to determine the tear volume produced at specific time frames.
Epithelial staining, another similar test, uses a particular eyedrop with a yellow dye.
This determines the time it takes for the tears to dry out.
It also helps to identify any potential damage to the eye surface.
Meibomian gland evaluation
The evaluation helps determine if the Meibomian glands keep the eye lubricated by producing enough oil.
Your Ophthalmologist will then plan the most appropriate dry eye treatment.
Conclusion
Dry eyes are an increasingly common condition.
Without appropriate treatment, dry eye disease can affect your lifestyle.
This condition is often irretrievable and makes management difficult.
Early treatment can help avoid atrophy of the glands.
Visit an optometrist or Ophthalmologist to learn about the available treatment options.
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