The direct reason for dry eye is insufficient or rapidly evaporating tears. Tears are critical for good eye health because they can wash out dust and debris and keep the eye moist. In this case, problems with any of the tears’ layers including oily lipid layer, watery lacrimal layer and mucous layer can lead to dry eye. Dry eye syndrome can result from natural aging, side effects from certain medications such as antihistamines, certain blood pressure medicines and so on. Dry environments such as dusty or windy climate and air conditioning system can also dry out your eyes. Incomplete closure of eyelids, eye diseases and even long-term contact lenses wearing are some of the other reasons for dry eye.

While dry eye syndrome is hard to cure, its symptoms such as dryness, scratchiness and burning can be alleviated using artificial tears. Restasis and “get the red out” eye drops that help the eye produce more tears are also useful for dry eye symptoms. But you should be careful of some red reduction formulas, because they may perform by contracting the eye’s blood vessels and make you addictive to them.

In most cases, contact rewetting drops are sufficient for people wearing contact lenses to achieve temporary effects. If you want to take eye drops for longer comfort, remember to take off you lenses before applying drops. Check with your optometrist or ophthalmologist to determine which type of drop and its common price.plastic glasses can protect your eyes from direct sunlight shine, so that tears are also under protection from accelerated evaporation. An air cleaner can filter out dust and a humidifier adds moisture to air, all of which are helpful.

Another treatment for dry eye involves tears draining prevention. Lacrimal plugs or punctal plugs will be plugged in the lacrimal ducts to keep tears in your eyes, which can be conducted in the doctor’s office painlessly. These plugs can be made of silicone, acrylic or hydrogel. For those can not get enough effects from these plugs, their ducts should be closed surgically.

Nutritional supplement is another helpful solution to dry eye. Consumption of cold-water fish such as sardines, cod, herring and salmon that contain fatty acids is reported to help alleviate eye dryness. If your dry eye is caused by certain types of medications, you should consult your doctor for a possible switch to another medication.

Antibiotic or steroid drops are also treatments if your dry eye is caused by underlying eyelid diseases such as blepharitis. Contact lenses may also result in dry eye, in which case you should stop wearing them and probably switch to another type of lenses. Good outcome of a LASIK surgery always depends on the absence ofdry eye.

Article Source:http://vision.firmoo.com/eye-diseases/dry-eye-causes-and-treatments.html

Vision Library is the information source in area of vision care, including eyeglasses, sunglasses, contact lenses, sports protective eyewear, vision error and diseases, vision surgery, ageing and kid’s vision etc., solely sponsored by Firmoo.com, an emerging online optical store offering high quality eyewear at the lowest prices.Firmoo’s return and refund policy make any purchase risk-free.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/vision-articles/dry-eye-causes-and-treatments-1380508.html

Bookmark to:

Hide Sites

This condition can damage the outer surface of the eye and the patient suffers severe discomfort and irritation.

There are several varying reasons for this condition which range from chemical and drug reaction wearing contact lenses. The symptoms of dry eye typically include burning, stinging, redness, foreign body sensation, excess tearing, and intermittent blurred vision.

Many studies have revealed that almost 50% of the populations who wear contact lenses suffer from this disease in a mild to severe form. In most of the cases, the problem is underlying and is not detected until the person starts wearing contact lenses. That is the reason FDA has made it mandatory for an eye test when a person desires to buy contact lenses, so that the underlying condition is known to the person beforehand.

When it is mandatory for a person suffering from dry eyes, to wear contact lenses for corrective or cosmetic purposes, there are ways to reduce the discomfort:

Contact lens rewetting drops: This is usually a temporary method but does offer some relief. For those with sensitive eyes, it is better to use a preservative free drop for this purpose.

Re soaking lenses frequently: People who get dry eyes after a few hours of wearing lenses find much relief by removing and soaking their lenses for a few minutes. This method ensures that there is less irritation to the wearer.

Good maintenance of lenses: replacing lenses as often as prescribed, properly cleaning lenses ensures comfort for extended periods. Protein deposits and other types of buildup on the lens surface contribute to increased lens dryness. Sometimes switching to a more disposable lens or switching to a different or stronger lens cleaning system also helps.

Blinking: Blinking frequently and shutting eyes for a while have proved to be helpful in rewetting the lenses and maintain comfort. One reason for dryness is constant concentration without blinking as found in most computer users.

Bookmark to:

Hide Sites

Dry eye syndrome is an ongoing condition that in many cases it can not be cured, but the accompanying symptoms such as dryness and burning can be alleviated. The diagnosis and treatment may be very complex. Artificial tears are usually the first line of treatment. Tears wash away dust and other irritants from the eyes, provide oxygen and nutrients to the cornea, lubricate and guard your eyes. Other common treatment options involve punctual plugs (which slow down or even stop the drainage of tears – it is also possible to have a temporary dissolving plug to see if it helps), For moderate to severe cases Restasis eye drops may be prescribed. In some cases an oral antibiotic such as tetracycline or an anti-inflammatory corticosteroid eye drop such as Alrex or Lotemax may be necessary. If the oily layer of the tear film is deficient specialists may suggest that you increase your consumption of oily fish and take flax seed oil as a dietary supplement.

Dry eye syndrome also means that your eyes are less protected from various irritants in our environment therefore air purifier and avoidance of irritant-prone areas may be helpful. Humidifiers are also considered to be helpful, however, if you have an allergy to dust mites it may make your symptoms worse since dust mites love humid conditions.

Predrag Iljic has been suffering from various allergies for as long as he can remember. If you believe you could be suffering from allergies as well please visit his website – Advice for allergy symptoms causes and treatment If you would like to learn more about dry eye syndrome please visit another web site produced by Predrag Illic for Dry eye treatment

Bookmark to:

Hide Sites

The first type, called lubricating tears, is produced slowly and steadily throughout the day. Lubricating tears contain a precise balance of mucous, water, oil, nutrient proteins, and antibodies that nourish and protect the front surface of the eye.

The second type of tear, called a reflex tear, does not have much lubricating value. Reflex tears serve as a kind of emergency response to flood the eye when it is suddenly irritated or injured. Reflex tears might occur when you get something in your eye, when you’re cutting onions, when you’re around smoke, or when you accidentally scratch your eye. The reflex tears gush out in such large quantities that the tear drainage system can’t handle them all and they spill out onto your cheek. Still another cause of reflex tearing is irritation of the eye from lack of lubricating tears. If your eye is not producing enough lubricating tears, you have dry eye.

Symptoms of Dry Eye

* Watery eyes

* The feeling that there’s sand in your eyes

* Eyes that itch and burn

* Vision that becomes blurred after periods of reading, watching TV, or using a computer

* Red, irritated eyes that produce a mucus discharge

Causes of Dry Eye

* Age: As we get older, glands in the eyelid produce less oil. Oil keeps tears from evaporating off the eye. Decreased oil production allows tears to evaporate too quickly, leaving the eye too dry.

* Diseases including diabetes, Sjogren’s and Parkinson’s

* Hormonal changes, especially after menopause

* Prescription medications: These include some high blood pressure medications, antihistamines, diuretics, antidepressants, anti-anxiety pills, sleeping pills and pain medications. Over-the-counter medications including some cold and allergy products, motion sickness remedies, and sleep aids can also cause dry eye.

* Hot, dry or windy conditions: High altitude, air-conditioning and smoke can also cause dry eye.

* Reading, using a computer or watching TV

* Contact lenses

* Eye surgery: Some types of eye surgery, including LASIK can aggravate dry eye.

* Inflammation: Recent research suggests that dry eye may be caused by inflammation due to an imbalance of “good” fats and “bad” fats.

Diagnosing Dry Eye

Your eye doctor can check for dry eye by examining your eyes with magnifying instruments, measuring your rate of tear production and checking the amount of time it takes for tears to evaporate between blinks. The doctor can also check for pinpoint scratches on the front surface of the eye caused by dryness using special, colored eyedrops call fluorescein or Rose Bengal.

Treatments for Dry Eye

The most common treatment is use of artificial teardrops that help make up for the lack of natural lubricating tears. Artificial tear products come in liquid form, longer lasting gelform and long-lasting ointment form, which is most often recommended for nighttime use. Many different brands of artificial tears are available over-the-counter. Some contain preservatives and some do not. Unpreserved tears may be recommended for people whose eyes are sensitive to preservatives. Artificial tears can generally be used as often as needed, from a few times per day to every few minutes. You should follow the regimen your doctor recommends.

When infection, inflammation of the eyelids or clogged oil glands contribute to dry eye, special lid cleaning techniques or antibiotics may be recommended. It may also help to avoid hot, dry or windy environments or to humidify the air in your home or office.

Research is underway to test the effectiveness of anti-inflammatory medications and nutrients called fatty acids for treating dry eye. This research could lead to new treatment options in the near future.

Punctal occlusion is a medical treatment for dry eye that may enable your eyes to make better and longer use of the few lubricating tears they do produce.

Bookmark to:

Hide Sites

Some people just suffer with mild inconvenience on waking up in the morning and finding their eyelids are stuck together, but for others it can cause acute discomfort which can last all day.

In order to determine possible causes and treatment it is necessary to have an understanding of how the surface of the eyes function.

Eyes are dependent upon tears to keep them constantly moist and lubricated to maintain comfort and vision.

tear constituency is
water – keeps eye surface moist
oils – essential lubrication
mucus – allows the tears to be evenly spread over the eye surface
antibodies – to fight infection.

Glands around the eye secrete these complex tears and if there is a dysfunction then the symptoms of dry eyes will appear.

It is difficult to understand why when you have tears pouring down your face that the cause could be a symptom of dry eyes.

These kind of tears do not contain the necessary components to keep the surface of the eye moist.

One of the symptoms of dry eyes, strangely enough, is having excessive tears, but this is a signal sent to the brain that the eyes are not having enough lubrication.

All these excessive tears are capable of is washing away some wastes from the eye surrounds and without the oils and mucus they do not coat and moisturize the eye effectively.

Apart from excessive watering, other symptoms of dry eyes are pain, in and around the eyes, a sensitivity to light, grittiness in the eye, itching, redness, or blurry vision. Causes of dry eyes

sensitivity air conditioning or other dry air environments hay fever and other allergies natural aging processes menopause side effects from certain medications a number of diseases and problems with the structure of the eyes.

Symptoms of Sjogren’s syndrome include very dry eyes and also often an excessively dry mouth.

Diagnosis is difficult in spite of being a very common disease among adults.

Although there is no cure, relief through regular medication is obtainable.

Dry eye syndrome cannot be cured but artificial teardrops and lubricating ointments can relieve the symptoms but it is important to keep to regular applications even if your eyes feel fine.

Eyes can dry out while you sleep so remember to apply a lubricant at bedtime.

Your eye specialist can prescribe medication to help or will advise surgery which can include the temporary or permanent blocking of the ducts.

If you find that the discomfort from sticky eyelids on waking and excessive tears is increasing accompanied by a dry mouth then be persistent with your medical advisor, ask for a referral to a specialist.

You might be suffering from early stage Sjogren’s syndrome and as we have already mentioned it is difficult to diagnose.

Other articles on the health of your eyes can be found at www.eyebeautytips.com in the eye health section

Bookmark to:

Hide Sites