Dry eyes. How to eliminate this condition?

Dry eyes or a dry eye symptom is a painful condition that occurs if the natural moistening of the eye surface of the tear fluid is insufficient.

This condition can occur in any person, but most often, the dry eye syndrome affects older people, and this phenomenon is more common in women than in men.

The fact is that with age, tear glands in the eyes secrete less fluid, and, as a result, there is no normal wetting of the eye. In addition, the composition of the tear film may worsen.

In addition to age-related changes, dry eyes can also be provoked by other causes. For example, taking certain medicines for a long time. Such medicines include diuretics, some anti-allergy drugs, antidepressants, hormonal contraceptives. To provoke a decrease in the development of tear fluid can also some eye drops, which are used to treat other ophthalmic diseases.

In addition, dry eyes can be a symptom of some common disease. For example, this is one of the signs of rheumatoid arthritis, certain thyroid diseases, systemic lupus erythematosus.

Very often, dry eyes also appear in quite healthy people who are forced to be in unfavorable conditions. To such conditions it is possible to carry the lowered humidity of air, windy weather, necessity of long being in front of the monitor, etc.

Also, the dryness of the eyes can lead to mechanical damage to the eyelids or the outer surface of the eye, which appear as a result of trauma or surgical intervention.

What symptoms characterize the dry eye syndrome? As a rule, it is a sensation of rubbing, the presence of a foreign object in the eye. In this case, it seems to the sick that they have sand in their eyes. Sometimes there is a small and temporary decrease in image sharpness and a decrease in visual performance after a load.

Another symptom that characterizes the dryness of the eyes is photophobia, that is, when you try to look at the bright light in your eyes, discomfort appears. Usually people with dry eye syndrome are not tolerant of staying in air-conditioned rooms, as well as smoky and smoky rooms.

Is this condition dangerous and can it affect the visual acuity? As a rule, there are no complications with dry eyes. In very rare cases, conjunctivitis or keratitis may develop.

However, dry eyes cause discomfort, so this condition must necessarily be adjusted. An ophthalmologist can give an exact diagnosis and pick up medications for treatment, so if you have unpleasant sensations in the eyes, you should consult a clinic.

To correct the patient's condition, the doctor will prescribe artificial tear preparations , which are available in the form of drops or gel. These drugs can be purchased at pharmacies and without a prescription. At the beginning of treatment, drops will need to be used often - every hour. Then, as the condition improves, it will be possible to reduce the use of the drug to three to four times a day.

Sometimes it is not immediately possible to find a suitable preparation of artificial tears, since there is such a thing as individual intolerance. If the application of droplets causes eye irritation, the drug will need to be replaced with another one.

In some cases, ophthalmic ointments that are applied under the eyelid for the night are more effective.

In complicated conditions, an ophthalmologist can prescribe the use of more powerful drugs aimed at increasing the production of tear fluid. Sometimes it is necessary to resort to an operative method of treatment, blocking the outflow of tear fluid. And in the case when dryness in the eyes is caused by a common disease, to eliminate the unpleasant symptom it is necessary to eliminate the cause, that is, to cure the disease provoking it.