Do your eyes get tired or your vision becomes blurry at the end of the day? If yes, then you most probably have dry eyes that could bring these symptoms.
In this digital age where your eyes are exposed to bright screen light almost every second of your waking hour, dry eye has become a common problem. While this condition could easily be taken care of by using eye drops and artificial tears, if left unattended, it could trigger uncomfortable vision issues along the way.
What is a dry eye?
Dry eye is a common problem that is referred to as the inability of the eyes to produce enough tears or self lubricate themselves.
This lowers the moisture levels in your eyes making them more vulnerable to vision issues. Producing tears is a natural defence mechanism of your eyes to wash away the dirt on their surface and give you clear vision.
What causes dry eyes?
It’s a known fact that your blinking rate drops when you are staring at a digital screen. It disturbs the moisture level in your eyes. The longer you spend on those bright displays, the higher is your risk of developing dry eyes. Even though you use blue light glasses, you should blink more often to avoid dry eye syndrome.
Dry eye problem is more common in warm months when the tears in your eyes are evaporates more quickly. And now that we all are wearing face masks as long as we spend time outside, more and more people are reporting dry eye symptoms.
When you have a face mask on, your warm breath flows upward and escapes through the little gaps at the sides of your nose. When the breath reaches the surface of your eye, the thin film of tear evaporates making it all dry and sore.
Blinking leaves a fresh layer of tear on your eyes and relax your ocular muscles. So, if you spend more time before screens, blinking may help lower the possibility of digital eye strain.
What problems do dry eyes bring along?
Your dry eyes could bring on several dangers to your eye health. Here are the most common dangers of dry eyes.
Blurry vision
When your eyes are too dry, they fail to give you clear vision. Blurry vision is one of the many symptoms of dry eyes. If you are experiencing both of these problems at once, your treatment should target the dry eye problem. It could be possible that your blurry vision is just a side effect of your dry eyes.
If you wear contact lenses too frequently, you are also prone to developing dry eyes. Your contacts absorb the moisture and may cause this problem. Swap your contact lenses for prescription glasses to let your eyes heal on their own.
Eye irritation
When your eyes are dry, they may become sensitive to light. The natural tear film on your eyes absorbs light so you don’t get irritated by the harsh lighting.
If you spend a lot of time outside in the sun or sitting in front of a digital screen, the UV or blue light will be felt too intensely by your eyes. This will irritate your eyes triggering you to rub them which can make the damage even further.
If you have a blue light heavy routine, for instance, if you are a gamer, make sure you use the best gaming glasses in the UK to protect your dry eyes from blue light harm.
Burning or gritty sensation
Your tears wipe off dirt or foreign particles that have entered the eyes. But, if your tear glands are unable to provide adequate lubrication to your eyes, these tiny particles stay on the surface of your eyes and cause an itchy or burning sensation. You have to wash your eyes with water to make sure they are clean and free of dirt.
Home remedies to treat dry eyes
If your dry eyes are not severe but rather a result of your screen time, here are the following things you can try at home.
- Use prescribed eye drops to maintain moisture in your eyes
- Use artificial tears after consulting your eye doctor.
- Make sure you don’t use contact lenses and wear prescription or reading glasses. They won’t disturb the moisture in your eyes.
- Put a warm damp cloth over your eyes. It may stimulate your tiny oil glands and trigger them to produce tears.
- Avoid spending time in air-conditioned places. It makes your eyes dry out.
- Take breaks during screen time and make sure you blink as much as you can.
Author: I’m Jaylin: Guest post service planner of Leelija and full time blogger. Favorite things include my camera, traveling, caring my fitness, food and my fashion. Email id: [email protected]