Are you experiencing dry eyes? Do you find it difficult to figure out why your eyes are dry?
There are so many reasons that you could be experiencing dry eye. Everything from the environment or your contacts can impact how dry your eyes are.
Dry eye occurs when your eyes don’t receive enough lubrication from your tears. This causes the surface of your eyes to be less moist.
Some of the symptoms can include itchy eyes, tired eyes, redness, blurry vision and dry eyes. Keep reading for some reasons why your eyes may be dry!
The amount of time we spend looking at screens impacts how much we blink. Did you know that blinking helps keep your eyes moist?
When we blink less, it leads to tears evaporating, which causes us to have dry eye. Looking at screens all day long only contributes to symptoms of dry eye.
The main reason why people stop wearing contact lenses is because of dry eye. Putting contacts on makes it harder for oxygen to get to your eyes.
For many people, this means their eyes feel dry and uncomfortable when they wear contacts.
While anyone can get dry eye, it is more common as we get older. For adults 50 and older, it is more common.
Also, post-menopausal women are at a greater risk for dry eye than men who are the same age.
Being indoors, there are many things that can cause dry eyes. Air conditioners, fans, and heating systems affect the moisture in the air.
When there isn’t enough moisture in the air, it can make your tears evaporate. This can lead to dry eye. One indoor environment that is known to give people dry eyes is an airplane cabin.
The air on a plane is very dry and can dry your eyes out. If you’re a frequent flyer, keep artificial tears on hand if your eyes feel dry while flying.
If you live in a dry or windy climate, it increases your chance of getting dry eye.
If you know you will be outside and it’s windy or dry, have sunglasses on hand. Not only are they good at protecting you from the sun’s UV rays, but they can also keep particles out of your eyes.
This is key if you want your eyes to feel comfortable wherever you are!
While smoking causes a variety of problems, it is also connected to dry eyes. Even if you’re not a smoker, avoid secondhand smoke, as it can aggravate your eyes and make them dry.
Other eye conditions smoking is linked to are cataracts and macular degeneration.
There are some medical conditions and medications linked to developing dry eyes. Some of these conditions include thyroid conditions, diabetes, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogern’s syndrome.
If you take blood pressure medications, birth control pills, antihistamines, or antidepressants, you are more likely to develop dry eye.
There are specific problems with your eyelids that can give you dry eye. This can include not closing your eyes completely when sleeping or blinking.
This can occur as part of the aging process, after cosmetic treatments, or because of other causes.
This can cause severe dry eye, which when left untreated can give you a corneal ulcer.
Do you need help treating your dry eye? Schedule an appointment to discuss your dry eye symptoms at Advanced Eye Care, SC in New Lenox, IL!
