Dry eye is a common eye condition that occurs when your eyes don’t make adequate tears or when the tears produced are of poor quality. Dry eyes can significantly affect your day-to-day life.
Fortunately, there are many treatment options that can alleviate your symptoms, including at-home remedies. Keep reading to learn more about dry eye symptoms and four ways you can help improve them.
Symptoms of Dry Eyes
If your eyes are dry, you may experience a burning or stinging feeling in your eyes. Your eyes can also feel constantly irritated.
Other signs of dry eyes include:
- Itching
- Redness
- Blurry vision
- Excessive tearing
- Sensitivity to light
- Scratchy or gritty feeling in your eyes
- Stringy mucus around or in your eyes
- Foreign body sensation in your eyes
The best way to determine if your symptoms result from dry eye syndrome is to visit your eye doctor for an eye exam.
Tips for Dry Eyes
If you have dry eyes, your eye doctor may recommend some at-home remedies to help try to improve your symptoms.
1. Reduce Your Screen Time
Excessive screen time may be partially to blame for your dry eye symptoms. You tend to blink less when staring at your computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet, or TV. Focusing on your digital devices for too long can cause digital eye strain.
You should give your eyes a much-needed break if you’re experiencing the effects of digital eye strain. The best way to do this is by practicing the 20-20-20 rule. Take a 20-second break from digital screens every 20 minutes to look at an object at least 20 feet away and blink at least 20 times.
The more you blink, the better for your eyes. Blinking is essential for eye comfort and good eye health. Each time you blink, you keep your eyes moist and avoid dryness and strain.
2. Drink Enough Water
Staying hydrated is vital not only for your body but for your eyes too. It’s one of the best ways to support the lubrication of your eyes.
Drinking plenty of water throughout the day enables your eyes to produce healthy tears, which keeps them moist and well-lubricated. The recommended amount to drink is usually eight to ten glasses per day, but really depends on several factors including how much you exercise, your environment, and your overall health.
In order to get more hydration, you can also try eating water-rich, hydrating foods like watermelon, asparagus, spinach, strawberries, and cucumber. Including these fruits and vegetables in your diet can increase your daily water intake.
3. Use Artificial Tears
Using high quality artificial tears are great for keeping your eyes lubricated. Our doctors recommend the Optase dry eye kit which includes a heat mask, lid wipes, and drops. For your convenience, we offer the three part treatment for $60. Our doctors also recommend the Refresh Optive, which can be purchased at our office, online, or at your nearest pharmacy.
You can apply artificial tears as often as needed, but it’s best to follow your eye doctor’s recommendation for artificial tear dosage and use them consistently.
4. See Your Eye Doctor for Treatment
For many people, dry eye is a chronic condition that cannot be adequately resolved using at-home remedies alone. Luckily, this eye condition can often be successfully managed with professional treatment.
Your eye doctor may recommend IPL (intense pulsed light) or iLux treatments, depending on your eye health history and symptoms. Both treatments are offered in our office. Your eye doctor will likely recommend taking the Dry Eye Self-Test to help them determine the best treatment to provide you with long-term dry eye relief.
So, if your dry eyes persist even after trying these tips, you should see your eye doctor to discover the root cause of your dry eyes and give you the proper treatment to alleviate your symptoms.
Are you experiencing dry eye symptoms? Schedule an appointment at VisionPoint Eye Center in Bloomington, IL, today, and start your journey to comfortable, healthier eyes.
