Dry Eyes Causes and Treatment | Home remedies

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What is Dry Eye?

A person may develop “Dry eyes syndrome”, when his/her tear glands are unable to produce enough tears for proper lubrication of the eyes.

The phenomenon of “Dry Eyes”, causes an individual’s eyes to become more and more susceptible to bacterial eye infections.

The good health of an individual’s eyes is extremely dependent on tears released by the lacrimal glands.This form of a medical condition is mostly found among older adults, as their eyes sometimes start to go through a degenerative process.

Dry Eyes Risks

Dry eyes should not be taken lightly and can result in serious complications.
When the “lacrimal glands” are unable to provide an adequate amount of lubrication to the eyelids, then any kind of virus or bacteria can enter the eye glands and cause eye infection.
Some bacterial eye infections from dry eyes cause itchiness and redness in the eye and some may lead to the development of “eye styes”.
If this medical condition is not treated early, then a person can develop numerous severe eye ailments, which can even result in vision loss.

Symptoms Of “Dry Eyes”

The phenomenon of ”Dry eyes’’, is not harmful in its initial stage but if it’s not dealt with in time, then the occurrence of vision-threatening eye ailments becomes more and more plausible, as the time progresses. Some major symptoms of Dry eyes have been mentioned below:-

Lethargic eyes

When a person is either working on his computer or reading a book, his eyes may start feeling tired. This symptom may result in the development of dry eyes in the future and it occurs because the eyes are not able to attain a pre-requisite amount of rest which is required for their enhanced functioning.

Blurry vision

A good vision helps a person to see the beauty of his surroundings in their true essence. But in the case of blurry vision, a person sees his surroundings in a very blurry and hazy manner. As his eyes are unable to completely focus, he may start feeling headaches and severe eye pain.

Extreme sensitivity to light

If a person starts experiencing extreme sensitivity to light, then he also becomes liable to develop a headache of severe intensity, which is also known as “Migraine”.

A person may start feeling uncomfortable while wearing contact lenses.
He may develop “Double vision”. In this condition, a person starts to see dual images of a single object.
He may suddenly start feeling the presence of “mucus strings”, in his eyes.
His eyes may become itchy due to the presence of foreign material in the eye.

Causes Of “Dry Eyes”

Dry eyes can be caused by a number of ailments such as rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren’s syndrome, thyroid disease, and lupus:

Eye strain

When a person is continuously putting an extensive amount of strain on his eyes, then his eyes may start malfunctioning, which will result in several vision problems, such as “Dry eyes”.

Overuse of contact lenses

If an individual starts using “Contact lenses”, for a longer duration of time, then his eyes become more and more prone to several eye infections, which can sometimes result in partial or complete vision loss.

Blepharitis

A person can also develop dry eyes due to Blepharitis. It is a medical condition, in which a person starts to feel a burning sensation in his eyelids, which has a resultant effect on the eyelashes.

Certain medications

If a person starts taking certain kinds of medicines such as diuretics (water pills) for high blood pressure, Beta-blockers for heart problems or high blood pressure, Allergy and cold medicines (antihistamines), Sleeping pills, Anxiety and antidepressant medicines, then he is more than likely to develop the symptoms of “Dry eyes”.

Eye surgery

If a person has undergone a surgical procedure (LASIK) for treatment of a “Refractive error in the eye”, then he stands in the high probability section of developing the “Dry eyes” syndrome

Treatment Of “Dry Eyes”

There are multiple home remedies or measures that one can take to treat dry eyes:

Lubrication eye drops:

A person must ensure that his eyes are receiving enough lubrication for proper functioning. A person can start taking certain pharmaceutical drugs such as cholinergic, which help in increasing the production of tears in the eyes. These drugs are available in several forms such as “eye drops, pills or gel”. These medications should only be taken, after being prescribed from an eye specialist.

Take medication:

An eye specialist can also prescribe certain Antibiotics to an individual to stop the “Inflammation in the eyes”. The “inflammation” is largely responsible for restricting the eye glands to secrete oil in the tears.

Use warm cloth:

A person can also clean his eyes by placing a piece of cotton wool in warm water and gently placing it over the eyes to reduce the risk of inflammation.

Wear eye protective:

A person can start wearing protective glasses to prevent any foreign material from entering into the eye.

Wash hands often:

A person must wash his hands thoroughly before touching his eyes to prevent the spread of any kind of bacterial infection.

Take vitamins:

A person must ensure that he has enough Vitamins A, B12, and D, embedded in his diet. As all three of these vitamins have been considered extensively important for the good health of the eyes.

Dry Eye Surgery Options

If home remedies or medication is not able to treat your dry eyes, then you may be advised to go for dry eye surgery. After the preoperative assessment, the doctor may offer the patient the following options:

Punctal plugs

As part of dry eye syndrome treatment, some severe cases of this eye condition require punctal plugs. A punctal plug is a small, biocompatible device that is inserted in the tear duct to block drainage and prevent tears from draining rapidly.

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) surgery

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) surgery is a safe and effective treatment, designed to fix Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD), the root cause of evaporative dry eye. In patients with MGD, Meibomian glands get clogged with altered fats/oils resulting in destabilization and evaporation of the tear film which lead to Dry Eye. Under IPL surgery, this clogging is opened up.

Photorefractive Keratotomy, PRK:

PRK a laser procedure for removal of glasses in which no corneal flap is raised initially, and some doctors believe it reduces the incidence of dry eye after Lasik surgery

Dry Eye IPL Surgery Procedure

IPL surgery is a safe 5 min procedure. During the IPL procedure, your skin around the eyes is cleaned. A gel is applied to the skin over which the flashes of lights are applied.

Surgeons bring into use a handheld device that targets multiple wavelengths of light onto the affected skin area. The light emitted by intense pulsed light instruments heats cells in the skin, slowly breaking them down.

Then, the light allows the body to remove the damaged tissue naturally. Depending upon the case, the Meibomian glands are expressed to help release/secrete any blockages.

For optimum results, patients require three treatments, typically a month apart. But some patients may need even more months.

Best Eye Hospitals for Dry Eyes Treatment

India has one of the best eye hospitals for Dry Eye treatment and surgery such as AIIMS, Sankara Nethralaya, LVPEI and Eye Mantra. Eye Mantra is one of the leaders in Dry Eyes treatment with over 10,000+ eyes operated so far by its doctors.

Latest IPL technology with specialized approach, gives the most beneficial results after Dry Eye IPL surgery by our top eye surgeons in Delhi and other cities. Consult today with our expert Dry Eye eye doctors.

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FAQ's

Are there any other eye problems that dry eyes can cause?

Dry eyes are a common problem among today’s generation because of many factors like computer-driven lifestyle, pollution, and many more. Other problems that can accompany dry eyes are-

Eye redness
Irritation
Feeling of foreign body in the eyes
Sensitivity to light
Excessive tearing

Is dry eyes a serious disease?

No dry eyes is not a serious condition. However, it may lead to eye inflammation, abrasion of the corneal surface, corneal ulcers. Sometimes dry eyes may also lead to decreased quality of life, like you may find it hard to read or work on a computer.

Does drinking water help in treating dry eyes?

Yes. One of the possible causes of dry eyes is dehydration. So drinking plenty of water can provide your eyes some relief. You can also consider eye drops or artificial tears to lubricate the eyes. This will also wash any foriegn material if present in the eye.

How to prevent dry eyes?

You can prevent dry eyes by following some measures like-

Don’t go to places with too much air movement
Keep a humidifier in your room
Give your eyes some rest
Avoid cigarette smoke
Wash your eyes with cold water

What should I eat for dry eyes?

To treat dry eyes, eat nutritious food that is rich in vitamins, and minerals. You should include green leafy vegetables, fish, nuts and beans to maintain the health of the eyes.

Is it possible to have dryness in one eye only?

Dry eyes usually happen in both the eyes, but it is possible to happen in one eye too. Sometimes it is possible that one eye is more symptomatic than the other but both eyes are actually dry.

Will dry eyes ever go away?

Dry eyes can be a temporary condition or can stay for a long time. Your symptoms may get better with treatment but it will never go away completely. Therefore, it is recommended to be careful about your eye health.

How fasting causes dry eyes?

During the phase of consistent fasting, our intake of a nutrient-rich diet decreases in quantity. Therefore, the lack of nutrients that are required by our body to ensure an active functioning of eye muscles and tear glands is the cause of dry eyes. The protein pattern of the tear film alters. Hence, it results in the depletion of the moist layer and causes dry eyes.

Who are the best Dry Eye doctors in India?

There are multiple good Dry Eye surgeons in India. Eye Mantra has some of the top Dry Eye doctors / surgeons. Dr. Shweta Jain is one of the best Dry Eye surgeons in India. Dr. Shweta Jain has successfully performed more than 1000+ Dry Eye surgeries so far. The results from the Eye Mantra Dry Eye surgery turns out to be better for many people. Post Dry Eye surgery, multiple patients experience improved appearance and improved eye lubrication.

Dry eyes Treatment | Home remedies