Dry eyes are rare when you are young, but age can make them more common. This condition happens when the body doesn’t produce enough tears to lubricate the eyes. While people think of tears as a result of crying, the tear ducts produce them constantly to keep the eyes wet. Your eyes need moisture to function properly since they keep your vision clear and protect them from dirt. Dry eyes can result in inflammation or worse conditions, so resolving them is a priority. Fortunately, there are several treatments available.
Dietary supplements
One of the major reasons for dry eyes is that the body is not producing enough tears or that the produced tears are not as effective. Your tears are a mix of water, oil, and mucus. If your tears are high in water but lacking in other materials, then they will dry quickly. It can be a good idea to improve the quality of your tears by taking dietary supplements. The most effective one is omega-3 fatty acids which help increase tear production. Ask your doctor for dosage levels.
Basic eye drops
The other option for treating dry eyes is directly adding moisture to the eyes through eye drops. These are essentially artificial tears, but they can have other purposes. Dryness in the eyes can cause inflammation and irritation in the cornea and the eyelids. The eye drops can help reduce that greatly. Many eye drops are available without a prescription, so they should be easy to get. Some doctors recommend eye drops made from your blood for severely dry eyes. You’ll have to give blood samples then a process removes the red blood cells. The resulting fluid is mixed with a salt solution for long-term storage and easy application.
In-office treatments
While surgery is also an option, you don’t have to go that far. There are several in-office treatments available. For example, there is an effective IPL treatment for dry eyes. It uses focused light to help melt any blockages in the glands that produce your tears. The result is more tears in your eyes. Another potential treatment uses thermal pulsation to massage the glands that produce the oil and mucus for your tears. Again, the result is higher tear production.
Implants and special contact lenses
Some simple devices can help with dry eyes. For example, there are tear duct plugs. Your tear ducts are responsible for draining tears away from your eyes. Doctors can install a simple plug painlessly so that tears don’t drain so quickly. In addition, some special contact lenses can help lubricate the eyes and keep them moist.
Final thoughts
Dry eyes can become major issues if you don’t treat them quickly. The treatments above are a quick way to relieve the pain in your eyes and avoid any future problems. Consult with your doctor to see which one works best for you. You might also have to make lifestyle changes, like drinking more water and sleeping more, so your eyes don’t dry quickly.