Dry Eye Symptoms – Learn About Them And See How To Avoid Them

Dry eye symptoms may be more noticeable with digital screens. 90% of the population looks at screens every day and spends more than eight hours in front of one of these devices.

Normally, we blink our eyes every 5 seconds, however when you look at the screen you blink five times less. As a consequence, tears evaporate faster, leading to dry eyes.

Worldwide, about 344 million people suffer from the symptoms of Dry Eye Syndrome . However, more than half of the people who suffer from it have gone undiagnosed.

Do you know the causes and symptoms of dry eye?

Dry eye syndrome is a disease in which the surface of the eye is not adequately protected by tears. The syndrome arises from insufficient tear production, poor tear quality, and a combination of both.

The tear has three layers and its quality depends on its composition. However, the eyelid plays an essential role in spreading tears and eliminating impurities.

Causes of dry eye

The causes that can cause dry eye symptoms include the following:

• Use of digital screens.
• Taking certain medications.
• Using contact lenses.
• Use of eye drops with preservatives.
• Hormonal changes, such as those that occur during pregnancy or the menopause.
• Aging.
• Environmental factors: pollution, heating or wind.
• Unbalanced diet or lack of vitamins.
• Stress.

If you wear contact lenses, you should know that they draw moisture from your tears, which reduces the sensitivity of your eyes by disrupting the tear-producing reflex. Additionally, preservatives in contact lenses and artificial tear products make dry eye symptoms worse.

Dry eye symptoms

Using digital screens can lead to the following ailments:

• Irritation.
• Eye fatigue.
• Reddening.
• Blurred image.
• Sensitivity to screen light.

If you wear contact lenses, you may experience eye irritation, and a feeling of itching and stinging. In addition, there is a marked deterioration in vision, redness of the eye and even pain. However, sometimes other dry eye symptoms also occur, such as a gritty feeling in the eyes and heaviness of the eyelids.

How can dry eye symptoms be avoided when using screens?

Here are some tips to avoid or stop the appearance of dry eye symptoms when using digital screens:

• Maintain optimal lighting for your workplace – a good way to do this is to adjust the quality and brightness of the screen you are using.

• Use good quality screens or filters to prevent reflections.
• Also, try to reduce the amount of time you spend in contact with the screens by taking periodic breaks.
• Make your eyelids blink regularly.
• In addition, do eye exercises: move your gaze near-far, left-right, or make circles.
• Adopt a proper position in front of the screen and maintain the correct viewing angle. Take breaks every 20 minutes to rest.
• Use artificial tears that provide relief and good hydration.

Other recommendations

If you use contact lenses, you should pay particular attention to good eye hygiene. In addition, you also need to take care of cleaning and maintaining the lenses. Maintaining good hygiene when handling your contact lenses helps prevent conjunctivitis and other infections.

Don’t forget to wash your hands before and after using them. Also, do not overuse your lenses or sleep with them. In addition, it is advisable to regularly clean the eyelids with wipes without preservatives and phosphates.

Use low-viscosity artificial tears without preservatives that are suitable for use with contact lenses. When in adverse weather conditions, wear sunglasses to protect your eyes.

In addition, it is advisable to avoid environments filled with smoke, dust or chemicals. You should also not abuse products designed to whiten the eyeball. To combat the symptoms of dry eye, you can benefit from the use of moisturizers.

Ask your pharmacist which eye drops will suit you best

Dry eye syndrome is a chronic disease that you can control. One solution to relieve dry eye symptoms is to use moisturizing drops. Another recommendation that may be useful is to check the side effects of any medications you are taking.

It’s best to ask your doctor or pharmacist which remedies may be causing dry eyes as a side effect.