Dry Eyes Tips
Dry, scratchy eyes can be irritating and make you really uncomfortable, especially when using screen devices. Your eyes are said to be dry when the tear film is not adequate to keep the eyes comfortable. This can be due to a tear deficit, or in case the quality of tears is poor.
Why are tears important for your comfort?
Blinking spreads the tear film over your eye, keeping it lubricated, smooth and healthy. Tears help the eyelids glide over the surface of the eye, keeping you comfortable. In addition, tears also protect the ocular surface from allergy and infection causing agents.
The tear film is made of three layers:
- The oily layer is the outermost layer of the tear film, keeping it smooth. It also ensures that the tears do not evaporate or dry up too quickly. This layer is made in the meibomian glands, which are oil glands at the base of eyelashes.
- The watery or aqueous layer is the middle layer of the tear film, and is the thickest layer. This layer keeps the eye surface clean and lubricated, and is secreted by the lacrimal glands in the eyelids.
- The mucus layer is the innermost layer of the tear film, made by the conjunctiva itself. It helps in spreading the watery layer over the eye’s surface, or in “wetting” the eye.
When either one or more of the layers of the tear film or deficient, our eyes feel dry, scratchy and tend to be sore and red. This is the dry eye syndrome, popularly known as dry eyes.
Here are a few tips which may help you manage your symptoms and feel more comfortable.
Use over the counter tear supplements:
Artificial tears or tear supplements are eye drops that contain substances which are like your natural tears and help soothe dry eyes by providing the required lubrication. Most tear supplements are available over the counter, since they do not contain harmful chemicals. It is prudent to choose tear drops which are preservative free, and from a reliable brand. You can even ask your doctor for a prescription during your annual check-up. Sometimes, standard lubricating eye drops are not enough, and the discomfort may persist. In such cases, or in case the frequency of eye drops required is too much, your doctor may prescribe lubricating gels or ointments in addition to the tear drops. These may cause a transient blurring of vision.
Dietary supplements Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to be beneficial in help dry eye patients since they improve the functioning of the meibomian glands that secrete the oily layer of the tear film. Fatty fish like tuna or salmon are rich sources omega-3 fatty acids, as are vegetarian sources like flax seeds and walnuts. In addition to modifying your diet, you can also ask your doctor for an oral supplement of omega 3 fatty acids.
While the evidence in support of omega-3 fatty acids is not very conclusive, most experts believe that it cannot do you any harm, except if you have a seafood allergy, or have coagulation deficiency disorders (blood clotting disorders). In fact, using omega-3 may also decrease the risk of Age Related Macular degeneration (AMD), and additional benefit.
Warm compresses In case your meibomian gland disease or meibomitis, an inflammatory disease of the oil glands at the lash line, hot fomentation can help alleviate symptoms dry eyes. You can also perform a lid massage, and lid scrubs with either baby shampoo or with special medicated lid wipes. Lid wipes with tea tree oil have been tried in these patients, but severe cases will require eye ointments containing steroids and antibiotics.
Use humidifiers and sunglasses Air conditioning increases the rate of evaporation of tears, as does sitting directly in front of a fan or heater. It is therefore logical to use a humidifier to add moisture to indoor air. Large, wraparound sunglasses also help reduce the rate of evaporation of tears when outdoors. In addition, the sunglasses also protect the eyes from allergy causing agents and also help relieve the symptoms of light sensitivity caused by dry eyes.
Monitor your screen time One of the most important causes for dry eyes is prolonged screen time (computers, tablets, smart phones, television screens), and the symptoms so caused are termed Computer Vision Syndrome. With the advent of smart phones and the digital revolution, dry eyes are almost becoming pandemic, affecting almost all users, to some extent.
You must try and regulate the screen time, and also follow the basic rules of screen-use.
- Think and blink: You must remember to blink more often so as to redistribute the tear film over the surface of the eye. This is because when we are staring at a bright screen, or focusing on reading off a screen, our blink rate drops dramatically to one third of normal. This aggravates the symptoms of dry eye.
- 20/20/20 rule: The 20-20-20 rule is a basic rule of computer use. This is because prolonged near work can result in a convergence spasm, leading to frontal headaches, eye strain and dry eyes. You must close your eyes for twenty seconds every 20 minutes, blink, and look at something at least 20 feet away for twenty seconds. This helps the eye muscles relax, eases of the convergence spasm, and also redistributes the tear film over the eyes.
These rules constitute the basics of ergonomics of computer use are especially recommended for all those who read a lot, and also for those who work for long hours on the computer.
Special caution: Contact lenses and dry eye
Contact lens often lead to dry eyes, since they act like foreign bodies in the eyes, resulting in a constant low grade inflammation. This is especially true for extended wear lens, and for those who wear lenses for longer hours.
- 1. In case you develop a dry eye, your doctor may advise to stop using your contact lens for a few weeks, or at least decrease the number of hours you use them for.
- The doctor may advise a different kind of contact lens, which has a higher water content. Typically, daily disposable contact lenses are kinder on the ocular surface, and are therefore more comfortable to use.
- You may be advised to use special preservative free eye drops to be used when wearing your contact lenses.
- In case your symptoms persist, your doctor may ask you to discontinue contact lens altogether and advise anti-allergy, anti-inflammatory eye drops, or even steroid eye drops.
When to contact your doctor
In case your symptoms persist despite taking the appropriate precautions, you must contact your eye doctor for a consult. Dry and sore eyes can often be a result of underlying diseases like thyroid disease, diabetes, autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, and may need more specific attention. In case the dry eyes are secondary to a systemic or local disease process, your doctor can identify and treat the underlying cause of dry eyes.
One must remember that dry eyes, if ignored and not treated on time, can also lead to infections, corneal ulcers and other vision threatening sequelae.
