Dry Eyes
Dry Eyes
Like your car’s windshield, your eyes have a built-in cleaning system designed to ensure better vision. To clean your windshield, you squirt fluid onto the glass and your wiper blades spread it around. To lubricate and clean your eyes, glands secrete tiny tears that get spread around by your eyelids when you blink. “Your eyes must constantly produce this tear fluid for you to feel comfortable and have clear vision,” says Robert Cykiert, M.D., assistant professor of ophthalmology at New York University Medical Center in New York City. “Otherwise, they get dry and uncomfortable.”
If you have dry eyes, you’ll often feel like you have an eyelash stuck in your eye. Your eyes may burn, redden, and itch. Sometimes, your vision will blur.
Dry eyes become more noticeable as you age because your tear glands naturally stop producing as much fluid. In fact, the average person produces 60 percent fewer tears at age 65 than at age 18. The condition, however, is most common in postmenopausal women and may be related to hormonal changes. Rheumatoid arthritis and lupus can also cause dry eyes by inflaming those same glands.
Whatever has dried your eyes out, there are ways to combat the problem that will have you weeping with joy.
Try This First
Buy tears. Sold over-the-counter, artificial tears can provide the lubricant you need. You have your choice of dozens of products. All have their merits. But not all may be right for you, says Larry R. Taub, M.D., assistant professor of ophthalmology and director of comprehensive ophthalmology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. So choose those that are most comfortable to you.
Artificial tears have the following differences.
Thick versus watery. Thicker tears and ointments will stay on your eyes longer, but they can temporarily make your vision blurry. Ointments work best at night when it’s impractical to keep getting up and applying tears. Dr. Taub suggests that you use thicker tears during the day when thinner tears stop working their magic. You can tell if tears are thick or thin by checking the active ingredients. Thicker tears contain methylcellulose.
Preservatives versus no preservatives. “Preservative” isn’t necessarily a bad word. It makes your bottle of tears last longer. Tears without a preservative can only be used right after opening and then must be thrown away, which makes them more expensive. Some people, however, find tears containing preservatives to be irritating, says Dr. Taub. Use the kind with preservatives if you only need to apply tears four or five times a day. If you need more frequent applications, switch to a brand that is labeled preservative-free. It may cost a little more, but your eyes will thank you.
Once you choose a type of ointment or drops, try different brands in that class. Some may work better for you than others.
Other Wise Ways
Get rid of anti-redness drops. Stay away from eyedrops that are designed to ease red, bloodshot eyes, such as Visine or Murine. They may make your eyes look better, but the ingredients in these drops can actually dry you out more than they help, says Paula Newsome, O.D., optometrist and spokes person for the Better Vision Institute in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Stay away from irritants. Pollen, pollution, smoke, and other airborne particles won’t necessarily dry out your eyes. But they can make already dry eyes feel uncomfortable and red, explains Dr. Taub. So sit in the nonsmoking section at restaurants, run a filtered air conditioner during the sum mer, and wear the kind of sunglasses that wrap around your eyes in windy, dusty areas. Sunglasses will also keep the bright light from the sun from irritating your sensitive eyes.
Preserve your natural tears. Dry winter heat, a hair dryer in your face, or your car’s air-conditioning vent all can suck the moisture from your eyes. So keep that blast of air pointed in a different direction. And use a humidifier during winter months, says Dr. Taub. Such methods will keep you from robbing your eyes of their own moisture.
| Managing Your Meds Any type of antihistamine—whether prescription or over-the-counter—can dry out your eyes, says Larry R. Taub, M.D., assistant professor of ophthalmology and director of comprehensive ophthalmology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. If you take antihistamines like diphenhydramine (Benadryl) for allergies, consider cutting back your dosage. Motion sickness medications like dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) also contain antihistamines. Or up your use of artificial tears, he says. Other medications that may dry out your eyes include: • Some heart medications such as propranolol (Inderal) that are used to treat high blood pressure • Some antidepressants like amitriptyline (Elavil) • Over-the-counter decongestants used for nasal stuffiness, such as pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) or phenylpropanolamine (Tavist-D) • Anticholinergics like dicyclomine (Bentyl) and scopolamine (Transderm Sco–p), used to treat intestinal or urinary problems |
Apply a warm compress. Heat will stimulate your glands to produce more oil, which will keep your tears from evaporating as quickly, says James Gigantelli, M.D., director of ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Missouri in Columbia. Fill a washbasin with hot tap water and immerse a washcloth. Apply the washcloth to your eyes for about 10 minutes twice a day.
Drink plenty of water. Guzzling down glass after glass of water won’t solve your problems entirely. But it can aid you in your quest to keep your eyes moist, says Dr. Newsome. Aim for eight eight-ounce glasses per day.
Take reading breaks. When you read or work at a computer, you often forget to blink, which keeps the fluid that you do have from getting spread out over your eyes, warns Dr. Cykiert. You can’t consciously remember to blink. You’ll drive yourself nuts. But you can take a break every 10 minutes or so. That way you’ll naturally resort to your normal blink rate.
