Dry eyes

What is a tear? It is a mix of water, oils, mucus.

A dry eye makes you feel uncomfortable. You may feel dry eye in certain situations such as on a plane, in an air-conditioned room, while riding a bicycle or after prolonged computer work.

Sometimes dry eye causes tears. This contradiction is called reflex tearing. It occurs due to the reduced amount of moisture in the eye itself and it causes eye irritation. It sends a signal through the nervous system for more moisture in the eye. The body sends more tears to make up for the dryness. The process is similar to when sand enters the eye.

Artificial tears are the most commonly used treatment for dry eye. If the person has chronic dry eye, the drops should be used even on days when they don’t feel dry, otherwise they can easily become dry. Also, it may require a complete lifestyle change.

• People over the age of 50 – As a person gets older, the eyes produce less and less tears. Dry eye is very common in people older than 50 years.
• Women – Less tear production is common in women, especially when they have a hormonal change, whether it is pregnancy, the use of birth control pills or menopause.
• Diet with very low intake of vitamin A – higher intake of carrots, broccoli or fish is required.
• Wearing contact lenses.

People with dry eye may experience the following complications

• Eye infection
• Damage to the surface of the eye – if left untreated, dry eye can damage the surface of the eye and lead to various infections and vision loss.
• Decreased vision – with dry eye come many problems in everyday life such as the inability to read books.

• Blepharitis;
• Entropy; econtropy;
• Air-conditioned rooms;
• Smokers;
• Working on a computer for a long time;
• Wearing contact lenses;
• Use of allergy pills, sleeping pills, heart pills, anxiety pills, etc.

If the person has a dry eye, they must pay attention to the situations that can create a dry eye. For example:

• Do not use a hair dryer or air conditioner while your eye is dry;
• Add humidity to the air or if you have an air humidifier turn it on;
• Wear sunglasses or goggles while outdoors in the wind;
• Give rest to the eyes, use eye exercises;
• Stop smoking cigarettes and avoid smoke;
• Lower the monitor of your computer or laptop below the level of your eyes.

If your eyes feel dry and you cannot see clearly, be sure to make an appointment or if you are not able to, consult an ophthalmologist online. Dry eye is best treated at the outset, delaying treatment is more difficult to treat.