Dry Eyes Prevention: 7 Incredible Tips

Dry eye disease is the disruption of the uniform distribution of a thin film of tears across the eyes that enhances vision and serves as prevention of infection—by keeping the eyes lubricated and washing away foreign particles and irritants. We will talk about dry eyes prevention in this article.

Dry eye disease symptoms

Dry eyes diseases come with several symptoms that cause severe discomforts to the victims—these symptoms include the following:

– Severe sensitivity to light
– Redness of the eyes
– Blurry vision
– Eye fatigue

– The individual will experience scratchy, burning, and stinging sensations in his or her eyes
– Severe irritation of the eyes that results in watery eyes

These symptoms indicate the occurrence of dry eye disease, and it is primarily caused by the alteration of the proper functioning of the healthy tear film of the eyes. The tear film is made up of three components or layers, the outer (oils), middle (water) and an inner layer (mucus).

They all function differently with a similar purpose of keeping the eyes lubricated, free from foreign particles & irritants that cause infections, smooth and clear for good vision. If there is any sort of impairment to the components that makes up the tear film, it will result in dry eye disease.

Factors that cause dry eye disease

There are several factors that contribute to the impairment of the layers that makes up the tear film, and they include hormonal imbalance, health conditions or diseases, inflammation of the eyelids and the natural ageing process. These factors cause dry eye disease by either increasing the rate of tears evaporation or decreasing the rate of tears production. There are effective dry eyes prevention tips we will share with you soon.

Dry eyes disease caused by the decreasing rate of tears production

Dry eyes disease may occur to individuals that can not produce the appropriate amount of fluids across the eyes to keep them lubricated, smooth and clear. The factors that cause dry eyes disease, and should be kept in mind when it comes to dry eyes prevention, through this process include

– Age
– Medical health conditions
– Side effects of medications
– The desensitivity of the cornea nerves

– Age: When humans age or grow old, the system that makes up their body weakens, thereby mitigating their effectiveness and make them susceptible to infections. The disadvantages of this weakness that comes from ageing also occur in the production of tears by the eyes. The older you get, the lower will be the degree of tears produced by specific glands of your eyes—that will result in dry eye disease in the long run.

– Medical health conditions: There are several medical conditions that will hinder the production of fluid in the eyes—that is, they will decrease the rate of tears production in the eyes and cause dry eye disease. These medical conditions consist of the following: vitamin A deficiency, allergic eye disease, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, lupus and Sjogren’s syndrome.

– Side effects of various medications: Medications are made for the curing of one’s medical condition, but they also come with side effects that may become another medical condition to individuals.
There are several types of drugs that cause eye disease as its side effect. These drugs include the following: antihistamines, antidepressants, Decongestants, hormone replacement therapy, drugs for high blood pressure, acne, birth control, and Parkinson’s disease.

– The desensitivity of the cornea nerves: The desensitivity of the cornea causes temporary dry eyes disease. The cornea may be desensitized by a few factors —such as the use of contact lenses, nerve impairment, and laser eye surgery.

Dry eyes disease caused by the increasing rate of tears evaporation

A dry eyes disease caused by an increase in the rate of tears evaporation may be due to two disruptions.

– The occurrence of clogged up routes —that is meibomia gland that produces tears via the eyelids.
– The type of duct that conveys the tears may be a form that causes the drastic draining of tears fluids from the eyes.

Several factors are responsible for these disruptions that result in dry eye disease. These factors include the following:

Impairment of the eyelids: The eyelids are the parts of the eyes that convey the fluids produced from the tears gland to the surface of the eyes. Hence, if there is an impairment to these parts— such as ectropion and entropion, which is the turning of the eyelids outwardly and inwardly, respectively; the uniform distribution of thin film of tears across the eyes will halt.
Posterior blepharitis, also known as meibomian gland dysfunction.
Abnormal blinking: The normal time interval for a healthy eye to blink is between ten minutes; hence if you do not blink to enhance the distribution of tears across the eyes, you will be prone to dry eyes symptoms. It may be caused by fervent concentration on specific events or activities, and it may also be due to some medical conditions such as Parkinson’s disease.

Other factors include eye allergies, exposure to smoke & dry air, and deficiency of vitamin A.