Dry Eye Signs, Causes & Solutions
Having dry eyes may make you unable to concentrate, focus and do just about any daily task. You need your eyes to do just about anything, so if your eyes aren't functioning at 100%, it can make your life more difficult. It may also lead to other things such as headaches, stress, or nauseousness. If you think you have dry eyes, read on for some of the signs, as well as the causes and what you can do about it.
Signs Of Dry Eyes
If you have dry eyes, you may experience more than simply dryness in the eyes. Some other signs include:
- Blurriness or a difficulty focusing on something
- Sensitivity to light
- Irritated eyes in windy conditions
- Redness of the eyes
- Excessively tearing up
- Gritty feeling in the eye
- Problems wearing contact lenses or keeping them in your eyes
- Tired eyes at the end of each day
These are just a few of the signs you may notice if you have experience with dry eyes.
Causes of Dry Eyes
Dry eyes can be caused by a number of different things. Sometimes dry eyes may be caused by staring at screens for too long without blinking. If you are staring for too long at a screen, you most likely aren't blinking nearly as much as you should to re-wet your eyes. If you are going to be staring at a computer screen or other type of screen, you need to look away at least every 20 minutes to re-wet your eyes.
Other causes of dry eyes include:
- Hormonal changes
- Allergies
- Over-wearing contact lenses
- Gland issues
- Poor diet
- Diseases such as diabetes
- Living in a dry region
What You Can Do About Your Dry Eyes
If you have noticed any of the signs of dry eyes, it's important to see your eye doctor to be diagnosed and for your treatment options. Making some lifestyle changes can help improve your eyes and keep your eyes healthy.
Changing your diet can improve your eyes and improve dry eyes. Diets should be rich in vitamins and minerals, as well as fatty acids. Eat fresh fruits, leafy vegetables and lean meats, as well as drinking plenty of water can improve your eyes. Smoking can also dry out your eyes, as well as your skin. If you smoke, stop smoking and improve your eye health (and overall health).
If you over-wear your contact lenses, be sure to give your eyes a rest from these lenses and give your eyes the oxygen they need. You can also talk to your physician about allergy medication that can help keep your eyes from drying out, or use rewetting drops during allergy season.
Look away from computer screens or limit screen time as much as possible. Remember to blink to rewet your eyes when working on a computer, tablet or other screen device. If possible, use a humidifier if you live in a dry climate region to help keep your eyes hydrated and moist.
Dry eyes can cause a number of issues for your health and can actually cause your eyesight to worsen if you aren't careful. Talk to your ophthalmologist about other ways to improve your dry eyes.
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