Since there’s an overwhelming variety of OTC artificial tears on the market, eye doctors recommended sticking to preservative-free lubricating drops, which are primarily sold in single-use vials instead of one multi-use bottle. “Artificial tears mimic your natural tears in order to provide lubrication for your eyes, and are composed of the same compounds found in your natural tears,” said Katsikos.
#Warm eye compress diy how to#
Shopping How to buy a weighted comforter The best OTC treatments for dry eyes Artificial tears Translation: Make an appointment with your eye doctor, who can perform tests to determine the root cause of your symptoms and put together an appropriate treatment plan. “Once you’re getting to the point where you’re using artificial tears more than three times a day and you’re still in need of more relief, that’s when you may need to turn to more advanced treatments,” said New York-based optometrist Jonathan Wolfe, OD. These range from artificial tears that restore the oil layer to the tears to nighttime ointments that keep moisture in the eye while you’re sleeping. “It can also be seen in patients who have varying forms of autoimmune disease, including Sjogren's syndrome, lupus, or inflammatory eye diseases, such as ocular rosacea.”įor the majority of dry eye sufferers, over-the-counter treatments will usually do the trick. “It’s typically seen in people who are post-refractive surgery, such as LASIK and PRK,” said California-based eye specialist and optometrist Ashley Katsikos, OD. Then there’s aqueous deficient dry eye, which is as it sounds - the inability to produce a proper aqueous (watery) layer of tear film. Shopping Shop with an MD: Digital thermometers But if you find you're using them too frequently to find relief, talk to us about trying prescription eyedrops.įor more information on how to manage your dry eye in the winter and other seasons, call us at Smart Eye Care or request an appointment using our online tool. Over-the-counter eye drops can help relieve dry eye symptoms. Close your eyes or blink a few times during these breaks. Take regular breaks from staring at the screen. Aside from the potential back, weight, and social deprivation problems, sitting in front of a screen all day makes you blink less. Take eye breaks from your screenĪmerican adults spend about 11 hours a day in front of a screen. It's especially important to help prevent dry eye in the winter. It's important to protect your eyes from the sun, wind, and other elements with sunglasses or goggles. To make a compress, wet a washcloth with warm water, wring out the water and place over your eyes. Placing a warm compress over your eyes every morning can help unclog ducts to get tear production going and also help soothe irritated eyes. Use one in the places you spend the most time, such as your bedroom and workplace. Here are six helpful tips we recommend: Use a humidifierĪ humidifier adds moisture to dry indoor air. At Smart Eye Care with two Brooklyn, New York, locations, our experienced ophthalmologists can help you deal with dry eye. How to relieve dry eye in the winterįortunately, there are many ways to combat dry eye in the winter, and all year round. This can result in dry eye due to a lack of moisture or increased evaporation of your tears. All three components work together to make your eyes clear and protect them against infection.ĭry eye occurs when your glands don't produce enough tears, or there is an imbalance in the makeup of your tears. Tears are made up of a combination of water, fatty oils, and mucus.
The glands above your eyes make tears to help keep the surface of your eyes lubricated. Winter colds and the flu can make your eyes itchy, watery, and red. In winter months, moisture in the air drops outside, and moisture in the air inside drops as well because of indoor heating. While people who have dry eye syndrome experience uncomfortable symptoms year-round, these symptoms tend to be worse in the dry winter.
Older people, people who wear contacts, and women are more prone to developing dry eye. For others, this condition happens on a chronic basis because their eyes don't produce enough tears or the right type of tears.Īlmost 5 million people in the United States have dry eye syndrome. Everyone experiences dry, uncomfortable eyes once in a while due to wind, allergies, or staring at a computer for too long.
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