Tears play an important role in keeping your eyes moisturized and healthy. In addition to lubricating your eyes, they also prevent foreign matter from causing eye irritations or infections. They help maintain your eyes’ smooth surface, allowing you to enjoy crystal clear eyesight. Any irregularities to the quality or quantity of your tears may result in dry eye syndrome. In today’s post, Opti-Care, your reliable eye center, discusses this problem in detail.
Root Cause and Risk Factors for Dry Eyes
Your tears are made up of three layers: the outermost oily layer, the middle watery layer, and the innermost mucus layer. These layers work together to prevent rapid evaporation, ensuring that your eyes are properly moisturized at all times. They also ensure that your tears are evenly spread out across your eyes. Changes to the production rate or consistency of any of these layers may result in dry eyes.
Studies show that dry eye disease is more common among individuals aged 65 years and above and can be part of the normal aging process. Women, especially those who are already postmenopausal, are also at a higher risk of developing this condition due to the hormonal changes they’re experiencing. Staying in dry climates and using blue light devices for prolonged periods are common factors as well, which may increase your likelihood of requiring dry eye treatments.
Common Manifestations
Dry eyes may lead to a painful and burning sensation in your eyes. You may also have the sensation that something is stuck in your eyes. Redness, itchiness and even eye discharges may be reported as well. The lack of moisture in your eyes may cause reduced tolerance to visually exhausting activities, such as reading books or using your computer. Wearing contact lenses may be uncomfortable for some individuals too.
Our Suggested Remedies
We offer reliable eye care services for managing dry eyes. We advise eating deep-water fish, like tuna or mackerel, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids to keep your eyes lubricated. We may also prescribe applying artificial tear drops and taking anti-inflammatory medications to relieve your discomfort. If your symptoms still continue, we may recommend performing punctal cautery or blocking drainage holes to maintain a healthy level of tears in your eyes.
For more information about dry eye syndrome, call us at (410) 600-3173. We serve Westminster, MD, and surrounding areas.