Living with Dry Eye can be a miserable experience that affects the sufferer's quality of life, every day and in many cases, every night too. The good news is that you can mitigate the symptoms by embracing an effective self-help dry eye routine.
To reduce the chances of developing dry eyes, to relieve your symptoms if you are already suffering, and to improve your body's natural ability to produce good quality tears, your daily routine for self-treating Dry Eye should involve three main elements:
- Adapt
- Relieve
- Protect
ADAPT
This is all about being kinder to your eyes by adapting your daily routine to lessen those activities and environmental conditions that make eyes dry.
You may not be able to change certain underlying factors that are making your eyes dry (such as age, hormonal changes, prescribed medicines for conditions such as high blood pressure or depression, Sjogren's etc).
But there are lifestyle factors that contribute to Dry eye that you may be able to change that will directly reduce your symptoms.
Lifestyle changes that can help to keep your eyes less dry
In the modern world there has been a proliferation in the number of man made environments that are hostile to the eyes and which have led to an increase in dry eyes and eye allergies. For example the number of over-heated or air conditioned environments and the amount of pollution in the air.
You may be able to make practical lifestyle changes to be kinder on your eyes:
- Try ways to get a better night's sleep. You may find a dry eye sleep mask helps you sleep more comfortably, for longer, and with less interruptions
- During the day, have some relaxation time away from your PC screen and without a mobile phone nearby.
- It's worth learning how to do TM (Transcendental Meditation) as it brings particularly strong recuperative benefits, including giving your eyes a boost
- Try to avoid where possible locations that you know will cause your dry eye symptoms to flare up.
- Avoid blowing air from fans, heaters or air conditioners.
- Take regular short breaks to rest your eyes when using a computer screen, tablet or mobile.
- Look away from the display periodically and blink 10 times slowly. This will help to spread your tears evenly over your eyes.
- Reduce the overall time each day that you are looking at a PC, tablet, or mobile display.
- Reduce the height of your PC screen to just below eye level.
- This means that you won't have to open your eyes so wide, which will in turn reduce tear evaporation.
- Use an up to date optical prescription if you need to wear glasses.
- Take out contact lenses if you wear them and wear glasses for the remainder of the day to rest your eyes - particularly when working at a computer and during the evening hours when your eyes are tired.
- Incorporate foods into your diet that promote eye health including those rich in:
- Omega-3, such as oily fish, spinach, broccoli, walnuts and kale
- Potassium, such as yogurt, sweet potatoes, and bananas
- Drink sufficient water to keep your body hydrated throughout the day, particularly on warm, sunny days and after exercise.
- Use a humidifier to stop the air in the room getting dry, or place a container of water on top of your radiator when the heating is on.
For many people it is difficult to make major lifestyle changes - for example if your job is mainly screen based - but even small changes can make a noticeable difference to the comfort of your eyes.
RELIEVE
If you suffer from dry eyes, you will need to use methods of relieving your symptoms on a daily basis. This is important not only for immediate comfort but also to avoid serious eye complications from untreated dry eyes such as corneal erosion.
There are numerous tools available for relieving dry eyes at home. These include artificial methods such as using eye drops that are prescribed by your doctor or eye consultant alongside natural methods such as moisture chamber glasses and goggles.
- Wearing Moisture chamber glasses is increasingly recognised as the best way to relieve dry eye symptoms at home, at work, or when travelling.
- Wearing Hydrating sleep goggles is regarded as the most effective way to home treat dry eyes at night.
PROTECT
If you are a dry eye sufferer, you need to take steps to protect your eyes against the elements that make your symptoms worse or lead to a flare up in associated eye conditions. This is so important, particularly if you are away on holiday or travelling.
Fortunately there is one device that protects your eyes from wind, dust, pollen, glare, and air-conditioning. I'm talking about glasses and sunglasses with protective gaskets that effectively seal your eyes from the elements. Collectively these devices are called moisture chamber glasses but they are the same as windproof glasses or allergy glasses.
To find out more about moisture chamber glasses, read these pages: