Dry eyes can be extremely uncomfortable. They can cause blurred vision, pain, and irritation. If you experience dry eyes, you shouldn't ignore it. Left untreated, excessive dryness can actually cause damage to your corneas. Here are four ways you can treat your dry eyes:
1. Use eye drops.
If you experience only occasional dryness in your eyes, over the counter eye drops may be all you need. These drops are made of saline and preservatives, and they help by providing extra lubrication for your eyes. If you wear contact lenses, make sure to buy eye drops made specifically for contact wearers; the active ingredient in eye-whitening eye drops can get trapped in contacts, which can cause you to get too much of it into your system.
2. Examine your medications.
Sometimes dry eyes can be caused by medication you're taking. If you take antihistamines for allergies, that can be the culprit, since that class of medication has a drying effect on your mucous membranes. Once you identify the medication that's causing your dry eyes, you should work to find an alternative. If possible, ask your doctor to prescribe a different medication with fewer side effects.
3. Visit your eye doctor.
If your dry eyes are continuing to bother you after trying these steps, you should make an appointment with your eye doctor. An optometrist will be able to examine your eyes to determine the cause of your eye dryness. According to Mayo Clinic, your optometrist may use the Schirmer test to find out how many tears your eyes produce. They will also want to find out how long your tears last on the surface of your eye before evaporating. With this information, they can make the proper diagnosis and find the correct treatment for you.
4. Get prescription medication.
As part of your treatment, your optometrist may prescribe one or more medications. There are drugs you can take to encourage your eyes to produce more tears. Alternatively, your eye doctor may prescribe eye inserts, which are thin strips of material which are placed in the pocket of your lower eyelid. These strips dissolve over time, producing a substance that lubricates your eyes. If your eye dryness is the result of chronic inflammation, your doctor may prescribe an ointment to rub into your eyelids which should reduce swelling. This can leave your tear ducts clear, which can help enhance tear production.
Contact a clinic, like Battery Park Vision Associates, for more help.
Share24 February 2019
Hello, my name is Martin. Welcome to my site about optometry. I want to use this website to talk about all of the tools and techniques used to measure vision and eye health. Optometrists can accurately measure the patient's ability to see by simply performing a series of unique tests. The visions tests require the patient's participation to find the right prescription for corrective lenses. The rest of the exam is performed to check the health of the eye from the surface to the retina. I invite you to follow along and learn all you can about this interesting subject. Thanks for visiting.
