Having dry eyes can make life hard for you. Red, dry, itchy, gritty-feeling eyes can make even the simplest visual tasks uncomfortable or downright painful.
Though discomfort can be minor at first, left untreated, dry eyes can damage your eyes and vision. So what can you do to prevent discomfort and potential damage from dry eyes? Read on for our Albuquerque eye care team’s top 4 tips.
Eat Healthy and Keep Your Eyes Well Hydrated
As with many aspects of your health, the successful prevention and treatment of dry eye symptoms starts with eating right and staying hydrated.
Fruits and vegetables should be a central part of your diet to ensure you get the proper vitamins and minerals to promote your eye health. Health officials also recommend drinking at least 2 liters of water each day, which comes to about eight 8-ounce glasses. This will help your eyes stay hydrated.
Get a Quality Pair of Sunglasses
Sunglasses are more than a simple fashion accessory. They’re also an essential part of keeping your eyes healthy, especially if you spend a lot of time outdoors. It’s a good idea to wear sunglasses even on cloudy days, when the sun may be hidden. Besides protecting your eyes from UV radiation, wearing sunglasses can help keep wind from drying out your eyes. Wrap-around sunglasses offer the best protection.
Turn On the Humidifier
Dry or dusty environments are especially harsh when it comes to dry eyes. Having a humidifier at home or at your workplace will allow you to add moisture to the air around you.
See an Eye Doctor Who Treats Dry Eyes
While it may be tempting to use over-the-counter eye drops to relieve your dry, scratchy, itchy, red eyes, it’s crucial to learn the underlying cause of your symptoms. That requires a visit to an eye doctor with experience in diagnosing and treating dry eyes.
Treatment will depend on the reason your eyes are dry. Your eye doctor may prescribe OTC or prescription eye drops and/or in-office treatments as well as simple lifestyle hacks like the tips we’ve provided.
Want to learn more about dry eyes and how to prevent discomfort and damage from this condition? Contact our Albuquerque dry eye experts at Eyes of New Mexico Family Optometry and Contact Lenses today.
Q&A
What causes dry eyes?
Dry eye syndrome occurs as a result of either your eyes not producing enough tears or the tears being produced not having the proper balance of water, oil and mucus to keep your eyes hydrated. Hormones, medications, certain medical conditions, aging and the environment around you can all cause a shortage of tears or poor tear quality.
Can dry eye syndrome cause blindness?
In most cases, dry eye syndrome will not result in blindness. However, in extreme cases of dry eyes, the cornea can get repeatedly scratched, causing scarring that can reduce vision. If it goes untreated, this can ultimately result in a total loss of vision in the affected eye.