Many of our patients have attended eye examinations over recent months seeking relief of sore and tired eyes. The majority of them actually have Dry Eye. Dry Eye means that your eyes may not be making enough tears, that the tears which are being produced are of poor quality or that the tears produced evaporate faster that they should. The normal function of tears is to keep the surface of the eye wet and lubricated so any shortage of tears or reduction in their quality can cause a gritty, burning sensation of the eyes and may also cause a disturbance in your vision.
There are many causes of Dry Eye:
Ageing
Blepharitis (eyelid inflammation)
Dry/polluted environment
Computer use
Contact lens wear
Hormaonal changes
Arthritis
LASIK surgery
Medications
How is Dry Eye treated?
In some cases symptoms can be relieved simply by altering the external influences above. Environmental factors can be helped by making simple changes - for example avoidance of dehydrating environments such as air conditioning. If your job involves lots of computer work take regular breaks to rest your eyes. Protecting the eye from dehydrating influences such as a cold wind by wearing spectacles or sunglasses may also help.
Tears must be distributed efficiently, replaced or conserved in order to provide relief. As Dry Eye syndrome is caused by an imbalance of tears on the eye’s surface, the most logical way to treat the problem is to artificially replace the tears and by doing so improve quantity and quality. Surprisingly, having a watery eye can actually be caused by a lack of tears. This results in dry patches which the eye tries to correct by a flood of watery tears. Sometimes too much tear flow just needs better lubrication; think of a car engine with water in it, it will be wet but will not be well lubricated. There are a variety of artificial tears available and you will need to be advised the best option for your particular problem and how to use your treatment.
In severe cases of Dry Eye punctum plugging is available, where tiny little plugs are put in the tear ducts to prevent the tears draining away.
Also in moderate-severe Dry Eye it may be necessary to use the Eyebag as demonstrated in the video above.
Follow this link http://eyebagcompany.co.uk/why to find out more info on why this treatment is suitable for Dry Eye.
If you are suffering from any of the symptoms associated with Dry Eye, please make an appointment with Fairbairn Opticians for your eye examination including a Dry Eye assessment.