ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Treatment for Dry Eyes

Updated on April 1, 2013
Dry eyes
Dry eyes

Dry, Itchy Eyes

Dry eyes can become uncomfortable over time, causing them to be itchy and watery.

Suffering from dry eyes or dry eye syndrome can be caused by a number of reasons. Also known as keratoconjunctivitis sicca, dry eye syndrome is generally when the tear film which lubricates the eye doesn't produce enough moisture.

The eyes need a sufficient amount of tears to keep the eyes healthy. Tears are a combination of moisture, oils, mucus (to spread evenly) and antibodies to fight infections. Without the moisture and oils the eyes become dry and without the antibodies, they are prone to infections

What Causes Dry Eyes?

There are a number of reasons for why someone has dry eyes.

Age

As you get older you don’t produce as many tears as you used to. It naturally comes with aging, with women being more prone after the menopause.

Medication

Medication can have side effects and one may be dry eyes. If you are taking a particular medicine and start to develop dry eye syndrome, there could be a connection.

Some medicines which could cause this include:

  • The contraception pill
  • Antihistamines
  • Beta-blockers
  • Anti-depressants

Illness or Disease

Some diseases could cause the effect of dry eyes. Sjogren’s syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis are examples of illnesses which may cause the problem.

Eye injury or eye surgery could also lead to dry eyes in the long run.

Contact Lenses

Contact lenses are worn over the eye, floating on the tear film as an alternative to glasses. Many people who wear contact lenses complain of having dry eyes, as it is thought the lens absorbs moisture.

Environment

Sometimes your environment or lifestyle can cause this problem. It could be down to central heating or air conditioning (at work for example), or from working with computers or looking at a TV screen for long periods of time.

Blepharitis

Blepharitis is an infection which causes inflamed eyelids. Having dry eyes means you are prone to this infection (other eye infections include conjunctivitis), but blepharitis also makes eyes feel dry.

Symptoms of Dry Eyes

  • A feeling that there is grit in the eye
  • Itching and sore (red eyes indicate infection)
  • Watery eyes
  • Blurred vision
  • Sensitivity to bright lights

Eye drops
Eye drops

How to Treat the Condition

If you have dry eyes you can see an eye specialist who will advise you.

Depending on how severe the problem is, you will be prescribed eye drops and given eye care advice.

Artificial tears are eye drops you can put in as and when required. These lubricate the eyes acting as the role of real tears and can be a real help.

Eye ointment can be applied to the eyes at night as an extra lubricant if the artificial tears are not enough.

Medication is sometimes prescribed to help if there is an infection, or if the eyes are causing great problems surgery could be the solution.

Oily fish
Oily fish
Medication for dry eyes
Medication for dry eyes
Heated eye bags
Heated eye bags

Fish Oils

Omega 3, 6 and 9 oils are great for healthy eyes. They contain essential fatty acids to support the function and help keep the moisture balance.

Omega 3 oil capsules can be purchased from health food stores and taken each day. A 1200mg strength capsule is slightly higher and recommended for dry eye syndrome.

Compliment your diet by eating foods rich in omega 3, 6 and 9 every day. Foods rich in this include:

  • Oily fish, such as mackerel, sardines and pilchards
  • Flax seeds
  • Oils such as flax seed, linseed oil, wheat germ oil, vegetable oil
  • Leafy greens
  • Nuts and grains
  • Sesame seeds
  • Beans, such as kidney beans and lima beans
  • Citrus fruits

Eye Bags

Using a warm compress on the eyes can help improve the moisture and oil balance.

Do this every morning for 10 – 15 minutes to improve the comfort as you wake. You can use a warm (clean) face cloth, warm tea bags or purchase a special eye bag from your optician which heats up in the microwave.

Gel to cleanse eyes
Gel to cleanse eyes
Antiobiotics
Antiobiotics
Wipes for cleansing
Wipes for cleansing

Blepharitis

Blepharitis is an infection causing inflammation of the eye lids. Those exposed to the bacteria stand a chance of contracting it. Dry eye syndrome sufferers are particularly vulnerable.

Symptoms

Symptoms of blepharitis include:

  • Feeling of grit in the eye
  • Itchy eyes
  • Red eyes or eyelids
  • Crusting on the eye lids and eyelashes
  • Blurred vision
  • Cysts or Styes

How to overcome Blepharitis

Taking antibacterial eye drops (such as Chloramphenicol for conjunctivitis) will help to fight against the infection. These can be purchased over the counter from a pharmacist or prescribed from your doctor.

Antibiotic tablets may also be prescribed to help if severe.

Good eye care and hygiene is vital for any infection. This means keeping hands clean and touching eyes less often. Use special wipes to clean the eyes throughout the day and a cleansing gel prescribed from your optician.

Use your cleansing gel after your compress. Apply it to a clean cotton bud or cosmetic sponge and run it along the inside of the lids.

Always ensure hands are washed before and after, and buds or sponges are disposed of or sterilized to avoid the infection spreading.

How to Apply Eye Drops Correctly

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)