Dry eyes may sound like a common health problem. However, if not treated properly, dry eyes can get worse and can affect your vision.
According to WebMD, dry eye is a condition when the tear glands don’t produce enough tears or when the tears evaporate too quickly.
When tears don’t lubricate the eyes properly, a variety of dry eye symptoms can occur. This may include:
- Dryness in the eyes
- Itching in the eyes
- Eyes feel sore
- Sensation of heat or burning in the eyes
- Scratchiness or irritation, which is feeling like there is something in the eye when it is not
- Like there is sand in the eyes Redness or red eyes
- Blurred vision or blurred eyes
- Inability to wear contact lenses
- Problems driving at night
- Difficulty reading or looking at the screen of the gadget for a long time.
As is known, tears are the main protective agent for the eyes.
Tears are not only used to moist the eyes.
Tears are needed for:
- Soothes the eyes
- Provides oxygen and nutrients to the cornea
- Helps protect against eye infections by removing microorganisms that can colonize the eye
When should you go to the doctor for dry eyes?
There are at least three considerations that can be used to determine whether or not to go to the doctor when you have dry eyes. It is is highly recommended to be able to plan a visit to the doctor if you experiences the following conditions:
- Symptoms of dry eyes do not go away that its interfere with daily tasks
- Not sure what causes your dry eyes problem
- Home treatments don’t help relieve or treat dry eye symptoms
According to Health Line, dry eyes can often be treated with over-the-counter medications, such as eye drops (artificial tears) or special eye ointments. But, at other times, dry eyes may not respond to home treatments, so you need to consult a doctor.
Your doctor can help determine the cause of your dry eye and give you the best treatment advice. Severe dry eye is known to damage the front of the eye. Over time, the condition can also lead to ulcers (open sores) in the eye, pain in the eye, or scars (scar tissue) on the surface of the eye. All of these things can affect vision.
In severe cases of dry eye, medical assistance from an ophthalmologist may be required. Causes of dry eyes Summarizing Medical News Today, basically, dry eyes can be a side effect of medications taken, symptoms of other health problems, or chronic problems that are often faced due to the environment. The following are some of the things that can cause dry eyes:
Side effects of drugs such as antihistamines, antidepressants, diuretics, and beta-blockers used to treat hypertension or high blood pressure
- Use of computers or gadgets
- Laser surgery
- Hormonal effects. because hormones can stimulate tear production
- Vitamin A deficiency
- Wind exposure
- Sjögren’s syndrome
- Other autoimmune conditions, such as arthritis (arthritis), lupus, and diabetes
- Conditions blepharitis Allergies Mild dehydration
- Low humidity
- Smoking
- Use of contact lenses
Source: Kompas
