Eye lubrication
Humans have five senses: the eyes to see, the ears to hear, the tongue to taste, the nose to smell, and the skin to touch. Eyes are the most important organs, The eye is the most developed sensory organ in the human body. And eyesight is the important senses, compare with the other four senses, eyes allowing us to learn more about the surrounding world, we can see and interpret the shapes, colors, and dimensions of objects in the world by processing the light they reflect or emit. In fact, a much larger part of the brain is dedicated to vision than hearing, taste, touch, smell or a combination. We tend to take eyesight for granted; However, when vision problems develop, most of us will do everything in our power to restore our vision back to normal. If other four senses was stop working, it's the eyes that best protect us from danger. So eyes are which we should protect for a lifetime.
Dry eyes
Dry eye disease is a one of most common condition of the eyes, the dry eye may be symptoms caused by a variety of reasons. Tears are consists of water, oils, mucus, antibodies and some special proteins, those ingredients can help the eyes to be lubricate, smooth, clear and to prevent evaporation tear liquid, even spreading of tears on the surface of the eye and resistance to infection. And these ingredients are secreted by special glands located around the eye. We need to maintain vision and comfort depending on the tearing situation. So when there is an imbalance or deficiency in this tear system, or when the tears evaporate too quickly, dry eye may occurs. This tear instability leads to inflammation and damage of the eye's surface.
Symptoms and Cause
Dry eyes are very common, everyone can happen. It can
happen in certain situations, such as on an airplane, in an air-conditioned
room, while riding a bike or after looking at a computer screen for a few
hours. When dry eye occurs will feel uncomfortable. When tears do not lubricate
the eye enough, your eyes may sting, burning, very sensitivity to light, a
sensation of having a foreign body or sand in your eyes, Itching, redness,
blurred vision and eye fatigue, the eye through the nervous system sends a
distress signal for more lubrication. These syptoms happens when the eye isn't
getting enough lubrication, the eye will become watery, but these emergency
tears tend to arrive too late, the eyes need to regenerate and regain
themselves, and start treatment.
Dry eyes can be a symptom of a variety of conditions. It was caused by many reasons, it is also the risk factor for dry eyes. Tear production tends to diminish as you get older. Dry eyes are more common in people over 50. You may experience the discomfort of dry eyes due to aging; Certain disease including allergic eye disease, a hormone changes, autoimmune disease, Vitamin A deficiency; A medication you’re using including: antihistamines, decongestants, drugs for high blood pressure, acne drugs; Corneal nerve sensitivity caused by the use of contact lenses or laser eye surgery, but dry eyes related to this procedure are usually temporary.
Treatment
Treatments for dry eyes may make you more comfortable. It can include lifestyle changes and eyedrops. There are many kinds of eye drops that can provide help, included prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs.
Over-the-counter drugs
Over-the-counter drugs means you can buy the eye drops at pharmacy. Artificial tears which is used to lubricate dry eyes and help maintain moisture on the outer surface of the eyes, it can be used to treat dry eyes that result from aging, certain disease, certain medications, eye surgery or environmental factors. "Refresh Celluvisc" and "Systane ULTRA" are eye drops for dry eyes. In addition to eye drops, there are also gels and ointments, such as "GenTeal". You may need to try different brands to find which one that best suits for you. Artificial tears can also promote healing of the eye and contain thickening agents, the solution may be a longer retention time in the surface of the eye.
Artificial tears
This medication is used to relieve dry, irritated eyes. This product may contain carboxymethylcellulose, dextran, glycerin, hypromellose, polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400), among others. It can reduce the symptoms of dry eye, such as burning, itching and feeling as if there is something in the eye. In addition, it may temporarily occur slight burning, stinging, irritation, severe allergic reactions to this drug are rare.
The eye drops are divided into with preservatives and Preservative-free eyedrops. For the preservative-containing eye drops, the chemical substance (preservative) can be used to prevent the growth of bacteria after
opening the bottle cap, but the preservatives may irritate your eyes, especially if you have moderate or severe dry eyes. Also the one important things is can't wear contact lenses if you choose preservative eye drops. For preservative-free eye drops, this type of additive is less, and it is usually recommended that you use artificial tears more than four times a day, or for moderate or severe dry eyes.
Prescription drugs
"Restasis" is a prescription drugs which is used to treat chronic dry eye that may be caused by inflammation. It works by increasing the amounts of tears you make. Use a single-use vial at the dose twice a day, also it can’t use while wearing contact lenses. Although this is only eye drops for external use, it still have some side effects include eye burning, redness, tearing and pain, but serious side effects are not expected to occur during treatment with "Restasis".
You may be able to manage your dry eyes with frequent eyelid washing and use of Over-the-counter eye drops or other products that help lubricate your eyes. If your eyes are dry, pay attention to these symptoms. Then find ways to avoid those situations in order to prevent your dry eyes symptoms. Then find ways to avoid those situations in order to prevent your dry eyes symptoms. Firstly, try to avoid air direct blowing in your eyes, also don't direct hair dryers, air conditioners or fans toward your eyes. If you are reading or doing other work that requires a long time of concentration, take regular breaks, just close your eyes for a few minutes, or blink repeatedly for a few seconds. If the environment was extremely dry, close your eyes for a few minutes at a time to minimize evaporation of your tears. Smoke can worsen dry eyes symptoms. If you feel dry eyes, use artificial tears on a regular basis to make good lubrication. Wear sunglasses can protect your eyes. The most important thing is healthy diet, adding omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin A supplement may help relieve and improve dry eye signs and symptoms.
Reference
1. Dry eyes, MAYO CLINIC, 1998-2021, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER).
2. Refresh Celluvisc Dropperette, WebMD, 2005-2021, WebMD LLC.
3. Systane Ultra Drops. WebMD, 2005-2021, WebMD LLC.
4. Genteal Gel, WebMD, 2005-2021, WebMD LLC.
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