ORLANDO, Fla. – Do you have red, irritated and watery eyes? Dry eye is one of the most common eye conditions affecting around 20 million Americans.
“I was probably lubricating up to, maybe, 10 times a day,” said Bill Casey.
It could be dry eye -- a condition that happens when you don’t produce enough tears, or you produce poor-quality tears. It can happen due to chronic computer use, contact lenses, hormonal changes, certain medications, or other illnesses.
“Any patient with any kind of systemic inflammatory disease, whether it’s rosacea, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, they’re more prone to having an inflammation of their tear film,”said Dr. Rolando Toyos, Founder & CEO of Toyos Clinic.
But there are some simple ways to combat dry eyes.
First, try over-the-counter artificial tear drops.
Next, take screen breaks. Try the 20-20-20 rule. For every 20 minutes of screen time, look away at something at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.
A gentle eye massage can also help. Try a warm compress. It may help stimulate glands to produce more tears.
Add fish oil to your diet.
And make sure you’re drinking enough water!
A tear is made of 98% water and 2% oils, salt, and proteins.
Lastly, an FDA-approved light treatment called Optilight is also helping manage dry eye disease.
You might also want to try using a humidifier if you suffer from dry eyes. It adds moisture to the air and may ease symptoms caused by dryness.
