How To Fix Your Dry Eye Problem
Moisture is very important for our eyes. Tears provide the moisture and required lubrication to the eyes and keep them healthy and comfortable says the optometrist near you. Tears are a great mix of water, oils, mucus, and antibodies, which stave off infection. These ingredients are deposited into the eyes via the glands around the eyes. When you experience dry eyes, it’s a sign that your tear system is off balance. Before discussing the solution for dry eyes, let’s have a look at the dry eye problem.
Dry Eye Symptoms
When your tears don’t offer the required level of moisture, you may experience a gritty feeling in the eyes. You may feel that you have a particle of dust trapped on the surface of your eye. Dry eyes have other symptoms as well, such as itching, blurring, or having light sensitivity.
In some complex cases, dry eyes may produce too many tears. When there is a lack of moisture within the eye, the nervous system receives a distress signal for more tears. In response to the signal, the body produces extra tears. However, the issue with these tears is that as they are emergency tears, they don’t have the same antibody or lubrication ingredients as normal tears. Thus, the dry eye condition continues.
Dry Eye Treatment
In most dry eye cases, the eye doctor will recommend artificial teardrops. These drops can be prescription or OTC depending on the type you need for addressing your specific problem. You must know that there are many artificial tear options, so no need to get disappointed if the first brand you try doesn’t work or feel right. It is OK to try a few options before finding the right tear drops for your eyes.
Other options may include temporary punctual occlusion, which closes the duct that drains the tears from your eye. A non- dissolving punctual plug may be used or a temporary one.
The other treatment options for dry eye include medication, changes in your diet by including more of omega-3s and fish oil, lifitegrast, cyclosporine, or testosterone cream.