Experiencing chronic dry eye is a pain that doesn’t seem to go away. Suffering symptoms like grittiness, soreness, and red eyes can take its toll on you.
It is all too common of a belief that chronic dry eye isn’t treatable and is something you have to live with. But the dry eye is something that you can treat.
In fact, you should treat it as soon as possible! Keep reading to learn why you should treat your dry eye symptoms!
Not treating dry eye can damage your eyes
Uncontrolled severe dry eye can cause permanent damage to your eyes. The long term effects include:
Eye infections. This is because tears function as a protective barrier against germs and bacteria. Insufficient tear production means your eyes end up exposed to the elements.
Corneal ulcers. These form from chronic inflammation. You are losing corneal tissue. They can permanently impair vision and cause infections.
Difficulty performing tasks such as reading or driving because of permanent vision loss.
How to treat dry eye
There are several different ways that you can treat dry eye. Often, a combination of methods is the most effective.
These methods increase tear production or increase tear effectiveness. What your doctor recommends will depend on what is causing your dry eye.
You can schedule an appointment at Takle Eye in Locust Grove, GA today.
Depending on your symptoms, treating dry eye may include medication or lifestyle change. One of the first things you should consider is hydrating more. This includes drinking more water!
Drink more water and use artificial tears!
By drinking more water, you can help stimulate under-performing tear glands. If more water isn’t cutting it, you can try artificial tears.
These are tears that you can take to help moisturize and lubricate your eyes. Keeping your eyes well-hydrated helps when it comes to dry or itchy eyes.
Enhance your diet
Another thing you can try is adding more omega 3 fatty acids into your diet. These can be easily found in salmon, tuna, or walnuts.
Your eye doctor may also recommend punctal plugs. Punctal plugs help keep tears on the surface of your eye for longer instead of evaporating too fast.
What if I’m producing poor quality tears?
If your tears are of bad quality, the treatment may need to be a bit more complex. Typically, a bad quality tear is lacking in oil production.
The oil layer of a tear protects the tear from evaporating before it has the chance to nourish and hydrate the eye. A common treatment for this is meibomian gland expression.
During this therapy, you’ll receive gentle pulses through the eyelids. This helps break apart any blockages in your meibomian glands.
Warm compresses may also be used. This procedure is not only painless, but many people find it to be relaxing.
You can take steps yourself to help combat dry eye. Try spending less time looking at screens, and using humidifiers in your home.
If you know that your eyes are affected by allergies, keep your windows shut during high pollen times.
Ready to find the solution for your dry eye symptoms? Schedule a dry eye appointment at Takle Eye Group in Griffin, GA today!
