Why People Develop Dry Eyes

Dry eye syndrome has quickly risen to become one of the most prevalent ocular conditions across the globe and that's something to worry about. Thankfully, it has a good prognosis and once it is diagnosed and the idiopathy is found it is very much treatable and the response to treatment is always good.

Thus said, it becoming quite prevalent is something that we all ought to be worried about and find out why this is happening and what we can do to cut down the numbers and protect ourselves as individuals and as healthcare advocates. This is why I am here today, to let us know why it happens and what we should do to make things better.

Technology has its perks and a lot of times the good weights the bad which is why we embrace it and keep moving forward change is inevitable and it is only right that we accept pertinent changes that would bring good and improvement in our lives, unfortunately, we have realized that tech tools are one of the major causes of dry eyes, does that mean we stop using them? No, we only need to adjust.

So as the name suggests, dry eyes are simply the eye becoming dry, not that there's not lubrication at all because then ocular functions would be severely impeded however on our eyes there's something we call basal tears. These tears are supposed to flow over our eyes every now and then at a particular quantity or amount.

When these tears have their quantity reduced, they tend to dry up quicker than they ought to when on the eye and this is one of the causes. Again, the tear film integrity is determined by the 3 main components of dry eyes which is mucous, aqueous, and lipid. Each of these has a role to play in ensuring that the tear remains on the eye for the expected duration.

When any of these components are not produced in the right amount or their drainage canal is obstructed such that they are not able to get onto the eye to help with the lubrication, then the tear may dry up quickly resulting in this condition as we know it.

As I mentioned earlier, the condition has a good prognosis and thus the good news is that once your Optometrist gives you the necessary medication depending on the severity of your condition to keep the eye moisturized, the system automatically repairs itself for things to get back to normal.

In the case where obstructions may be in place, your OD will do well to clear the passageway for things to get better. But then how has tech come in to make dry eyes a more prevalent condition. Now the blue light that is emitted from most tech screens has been found through research to contribute to reduced tear film production and thus dry eye development.

Again, people who normally work or sit under the fan for long hours as well as stay in an airconditioned environment are prone to developing dry eyes, a lot of times it tends to be severe and so even with lubrication they may require protective glasses to help reduce the amount of air that passes over the eye as well as protect them from blue light.

People who may have a deficiency in vitamin A may also develop dry eyes and in their cases, it may be coupled with other conditions such as night blindness, bitots spots, etc. Dry eyes may also come about as a secondary condition to an ocular condition one may develop. In such a case it would be prudent to focus on the primary condition after which the secondary may automatically resolve itself.

So what must you do?

Well, based on what we may have already mentioned above it would be advisable to have protective glasses from your Optometrist if your work demands that you work with screens especially laptops for the majority of the day.

Again, do not sit directly under the fan at home or at work for long hours, if you use a standing fan ensure that it rotates around and is not fixated on you, do well to take breaks often, follow the 20-20-20 rule when working like computers, for every 20 minutes of work, take a 20 seconds break to focus at an object 20 feet away, it helps a lot.

If you work in an airconditioned environment do well to regulate it every now and then, and do step out a bit every now and then especially if your office has gadgets that require the AC to always be at maximum input, don't spend the entire 24 hours in an air-conditioned environment, if you use it at work, keep it off or very down in your car and at home keep it off or down.

Staying hydrated also helps a lot not just the eyes but your entire system too, drink a lot of water and exercise regularly and you should be just fine. If things do not improve with this, kindly consult your Optometrist as other factors may be in place.

Most conditions have something to do with our lifestyle and our health generally and so we are most often the cause of our own problems and at the same time the solution to those problems, let's make efforts towards our health always by following medical advice and seeking regular health checks.

Remember that early detection saves lives as well as sight, stay safe when in doubt consult a professional, and kindly avoid over-the-counter medication and drug abuse. Enjoy the holidays, thanks for your time and for reading.