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Dry Eyes
Have you noticed your eyes feeling drier as your get older? The condition is common, especially in people over the age of 40 and is more common in women past menopause. What are tears made of? If you guessed “water” you were partially correct. Tears are actually a mix of water, fatty oils, proteins, electrolytes, bacteria-fighting substances and growth factors that regulate the various processes going on in the cells. This mixture helps create a smooth and clear surface on your eyes; without tears, good vision is impossible.
Causes - For some people, dry eyes are caused by an imbalance in the composition of their tears. Other people simply don’t produce enough tears to keep their eyes lubricated. Problems with eyelids, medications and even environmental factors, can lead to dry eyes, as well as decreased tear production following LASIK surgery.
Signs and symptoms - may include some or all of the following:
- Eyes that sting, burn or have a scratchy sensation
- Mucus in or around eyes and tearing
- Increased irritation from smoke or wind in the eyes
- Eye fatigue after short periods of reading
- Light sensitivity
- Difficulty wearing contact lenses
- Blurry vision, often worse at the end of the day, or after a prolonged period of focusing such as reading on a computer screen
Treatment - People with mild dry eyes respond well to treatment using artificial tears. Those with more persistent symptoms, who don’t respond to artificial tears, may be candidates for more advanced treatments such as having their vision care specialist place tiny plugs in the tear ducts. Plugs serve to partially or completely close the ducts so that the tears stay in the eye for a longer period of time.
How you can help prevent dry eyes – the goal is to help slow the evaporation of tears in your eyes by paying more attention to some simple steps:
- Avoid blowing air directly into your eyes when using hair dryers, car heaters, air conditioners or fans – direct them away from your eyes.
- Wear sunglasses on windy days and goggles when swimming. There are wraparound glasses that can block the wind all the way around your eyes.
- Don’t rub your eyes – even though it may feel good temporarily, it can irritate your eyes
- Blink – consciously remembering to blink while doing focused tasks, such as computer reading, will help spread the tears in your eyes and provide a break in near vision tasks that your eyes will appreciate
- A home humidifier can add moisture into dry indoor air from air conditioning or heating
