Relief For Dry Eyes

What To Do For Dry Eyes

What causes dry eyes? Finding relief for the problem of dry eyes starts with understanding what causes dry eyes in the first place. Simply put, it's insufficient tear production. Tears are produced by special glands around the eye, and when these glands aren't functioning properly, it causes dry eyes. 

Environmental factors like air conditioning or heat from a central furnace are among the most common causes of dry eyes.  Contact lenses are frequent causes of dry eyes too. Other causes of dry eyes are:

• aging, especially women during menopause,
• side effects of certain medications, particularly antihistamines and birth control pills,
• diseases and problems that affect the eyes ability to make tears, most notably collagen vascular diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjogren's syndrome.

In some instances, there may be structural problems with the eyes that keep them from closing properly, such as a problem with the tear ducts.

What to do for dry eyes Your doctor can offer some possibilities for getting relief for dry eyes, including

• artificial tear drops and ointments, which are generally available online over the counter at your drug store,
• a painless procedure called punctal occlusion. This procedure involves placing plugs that keep tears from draining away from the eyes. They can be temporary or permanent, and they can be removed. Many patients find that the plugs relieve dryness and reduce the need for artificial tears,
• a prescription called Restasis, which has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of chronic dry eye,
• other medications, including topical steroids, may also help in some cases.

There are eye drops that may help bring relief for dry eyes, but there are no contact lenses for dry eyes.

For more information on contact lenses and dry eyes, click on best contact lenses for dry eyes.

Finally, there's surgery. In certain cases, it's best to surgically close the ducts that drain tears into the nose. It can be done with a local anesthetic on an outpatient basis.

What are the signs and symptoms of dry eyes? Signs and symptoms of dry eyes include:

• a gritty or sandy sensation in the eyes
• abnormal sensitivity to light
• blurred vision
• eye pain
• itchiness
• redness

It seems counterintuitive, but excessive tear production is among the typical signs and symptoms of dry eyes. This occurs because dry conditions in the eye sometimes cause the brain to produce more tears. But in these circumstances, the tears mainly consist of water without the other important components of normal tears. So a person with severely dry eyes can also have tears running down their cheeks from this excess production.