Many
people suffer from symptoms of dry eye, including sore, gritty, and tired eyes.
The eyes can feel fatigued, particularly after prolonged concentrated visual
tasks, and may appear red.
Dry
eye sometimes occurs in conjunction with other conditions such as rheumatoid
arthritis, acne rosacea, or hormonal imbalances. Medications can also
contribute to dry eye, including oral contraceptives. Symptoms are usually
worse in dry environments, such as air conditioning and central heating.
The
function of tears is to keep the front of the eye moist. Healthy tears form a
smooth, uninterrupted, film over the eye, which is replenished with every
blink.
The
three main components of tears are a mucus layer, a watery layer, and an oily
layer. Paradoxically, a dry eye can cause the eyes to water excessively, but
this produces the wrong chemical balance of tears. The oily component of tears
is produced by Meibomian glands and problems with these glands is a common
cause of dry eye.
There are some simple strategies that you can try
yourself that may help to reduce the symptoms of dry eye. These are summarised
below:
≫ Are your glasses OK?
If glasses are not of the correct strength then this can worsen the symptoms of
dry eye. So, the first stage is to have a routine eye examination.
≫ Give your eyes a rest. Take breaks while
reading or working at a computer. Look away from the monitor or book to let
your eyes focus on things that are far away and blink.
≫ Environment. Fans or
air conditioning vents can send a continuous air current across the surface of
your eyes. Combine this with staring at a computer or TV, and it's a problem.
If a dry eye only occurs during certain tasks, such as using a computer, then
blinking exercises may help. Another of the Cole Martin Tregaskis Optometrists
information leaflets explains how to do these.
≫ Add water. If the air is dry at home or at
work, use a humidifier. Drink plenty of water, too, to hydrate from the inside
out.
≫ Keep it clean. Steer clear of eye irritants,
such as heavy pollution or smoke. Smokers are more likely to have dry eye.
≫ Give dryness the drop. Lubricant drops
called artificial tears work like natural tears to hydrate and restore the
health of the eye's surface. Please click here for
instructions on how to insert eye drops.
≫ Try something fishy! Diet
can also influence tear production and modifying diet or taking dietary
supplements can improve dry eye symptoms. In particular, essential oils are
important for healthy tears and fish oil and olive oil can be helpful.
Contact
lens wearers who have dry eyes may add these strategies to their plan of
action:
≫ Replace
lenses when you should. As contact lenses are worn they become covered with
a biofilm. This contributes to lens drying, so more frequent replacement of
lenses usually reduces dry eye.
≫ Use only the contact lens solutions your
optometrist recommends. Your optometrist knows which lens cleaning and
disinfecting solutions are compatible with the type of lenses you are wearing.
≫ Add moisture throughout the day. Rewetting
drops can refresh your eyes throughout the day, even while you're wearing your
contact lenses.
≫ Clean lenses properly. Follow the
instructions to care for your lenses. If you need a refresher course on caring
for your lenses then we are happy to arrange this with an ocular hygienist.
Please ask at reception.
If the suggestions listed in this leaflet are not
helping enough, then don’t despair as there are other more sophisticated
approaches. Some of the optometrists at this practive
have specialised in the management of dry eye and other tear film problems,
including watery eye. Our reception can arrange an appointment for a Tear Film Special Assessment. You will
be asked to complete a questionnaire which has been shown in several research
studies to be useful for investigating symptoms associated with dry eye. At the
Tear Film Special Assessment the
front of the eye will be examined in great detail with a biomicroscope and dyes
will be used to investigate the tear film. These dyes do not usually sting and
will not interfere with your vision, so you will be able to drive straight
after the appointment.
At the end of the Tear Film Special Assessment you will be given an explanation of
the findings. In most cases, the optometrist will recommend treatments that you
carry out at home. The Tear Film Special
Assessment includes a session with an ocular hygienist who will teach you
how to carry out any treatments that the optometrist recommends.
The fee for the Tear
Film Special Assessment is £80, which includes the optometrist appointment
and training session with an ocular hygienist. Sometimes, follow-up
appointments are required and the fee for these is £55
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