Dry Eye
Dry eyes are common eye health problems. This problem is caused by a defect in the quality or amount of tears produced in the eye. The tear gives the eye the necessary moisture, and dryness of the eye is accompanied by a continuous sensation of the eye, The dryness of the eye affects the ability to perform daily tasks such as computer use, reading for long hours, and it makes it difficult to survive in the dry environment. In addition, the feeling of eye dryness is unpleasant and annoying to the eye, It may be aggravated by brother problems Serious irrigation may affect the health and safety of vision.
Symptoms of dry eye
Dry eye is a symptom of disease, but it is not a disease in itself, and often dry eye accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Permanent feeling of tingling.
- Heartburn occurs in the eye.
- The feeling of something in the eye.
- Pain and redness of the eye.
- Continuous itching.
- Mucus, formed around the eye in the form of filaments.
- Persistent eye fatigue after reading or using a computer.
- Difficulty in placing contact lenses and their types.
- Prolonged tear secretion after prolonged periods of dehydration.
- Suffering from blurry vision intermittently.
- Feeling heavy in the eyelid.
- Feeling tired and tired in the eye.
Causes of dry eye
Dry eye occurs for three main reasons:
Decreased production and excretion of tears
Dry eye occurs when the eye is unable to produce the amount necessary to maintain the moisture of the eye, this condition is called the disease of the conjunctiva eye, and there are many reasons that lead to weak ability of the eye to produce tears and the following are the most important:
- Aging.
- Some medications, such as antidepressants, antihistamines, antidepressants, Parkinson’s disease drugs, hypertension drugs, acne medicines, contraceptives and alternative hormones.
- Some diseases, such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, Sjögren’s syndrome, thyroid disease, and vitamin A deficiency.
- Damaged glands due to inflammation or exposure to radiation.
- Laser vision correction processes, but the accompanying symptoms are usually temporary.
Increase the rate of evaporation of tears
Dry eye may also occur as a result of the imbalance between the eye’s output of tears and the rate of evaporation, and occurs that tears evaporate from the eye more quickly as a result:
- Exposure to dry air, smoke, or excessive wind.
- Forgetting blinking usually occurs while reading or driving, or while using a computer.
- Lupus erythematosus, such as a foreign ectropion, is the lower lobe of the eyelid, or an internal entropion, which is an incontinence of the eyelids, which leads to corneal contact with the cornea.
Imbalance in the components of tears
The tear consists of three layers: aquatic, oily and mucous, and any defect in one of these layers affects the effectiveness of tears in maintaining the moisture and safety of the eye from dehydration. There are many health problems that can lead to imbalance in the components of tears, for example, blepharitis (blepharitis) may lead to the obstruction of the glands of the eyelid (meibomian glands) producing oil layer (Lepidemic).
Complications of eye dryness
There are three important complications of eye dryness:
- Inflammatory eye injury: Tears are rich in proteins that act as a protective barrier against bacterial and viral infections. The tears, for example, contain lysozyme, an enzyme that breaks down the walls of bacteria. It also contains IgA, which also protects the eye from bacterial infections. In the amount or quality of tears adversely affect the health of the eye and the risk of infection.
- Damage to the surface of the eye: Many scars (Cicatrices) may arise on the eye and surface of the cornea, especially if the eye is dry and severe, and the person has not treated the eye for a long time, in addition to it may be infected corneal ulcer In both cases may be a person with low vision .
- Quality of life decline: A person with dry eyes has difficulty performing daily tasks that require concentration, such as reading.
The most vulnerable to eye dryness
Women are the most vulnerable to eye dryness. Women make up the largest proportion of the estimated 5 million people in the United States who are over 50 years of age. Pregnant women, menopausal women or those with hormone replacement therapy are the most vulnerable Among women, but this does not mean that eye dryness does not occur in men.
Steps to relieve the symptoms of dry eye
There are simple steps that may help relieve the symptoms of dry eye, including:
- Remember to blink while reading or using the computer for long periods of time.
- Wear sunglasses abroad.
- Increase air humidity in the home or work environment, Humidifier can be used to increase humidity in the atmosphere of the house.
- Drink water at an average of 8-10 cups a day.
- Eliminate long time spent on TV or computer screen.
- Reduce the wear of medical contact lenses.