Common Occasional Dry Eye Myths

Myths are typically a thing of fantasy, and you wouldn’t expect them to have a place in eye health. Unfortunately, there are several “myths” that many people believe that are simply not true. Here are a few of those beliefs held by people who experience occasional dry eye that we are happy to dispel.

Myth 1: It Happens to Everyone.

While experiencing some form of occasional dry eye is common, it does not happen to everyone and each person’s level of discomfort varies. Occasional dry eye typically occurs when your eyes don’t produce enough tears, or the tears your eyes do produce, are not enough to keep your eyes lubricated and comfortable. For those who experience dryness and irritation daily, they’ll need to seek professional help as it can be a long-term eye health issue.

Myth 2: It Only Happens to Old People.

As we age, our bodies change. One of the parts most affected by aging is our eyes. Our vision decreases and, yes, our eyes can start to feel drier, more commonly so for women. However, believing that you can’t or won’t experience occasional dry eye because of your age or sex is incorrect. Age is a risk factor for occasional dry eye, but there are several other contributors to experiencing occasional dryness:

Digital device use

When we work on screens, our eyes tend to not fully blink, meaning we’re missing that necessary distribution of our tears to help keep our eyes from drying out. Even children have begun to experience dryness due to screens!

Contact lensescommon-occasional-dry-eye-myths.png

Contact lens wearers are particularly susceptible to experiencing occasional dry eye as soft lens materials require additional lubrication, and a balanced tear film is vital to successful lens wearing.

Environment

There are several external factors that can lead us to experience occasional dry eye such as smoke, wind, and dry conditions. Seasonal changes can also increase our likelihood of experiencing dryness. In the winter, the air is drier and there’s less humidity. In the spring and fall seasons, allergies can contribute to experiencing occasional dry eye.

Medications

Certain medicines like antihistamines, decongestants, blood pressure medications, and antidepressants can reduce the number of tears produced in the eyes.

Medical conditions

Individuals with auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and Sjogren’s syndrome are more likely to have issues caused by occasional dry eye. Also, problems with inflammation of the eyelids (blepharitis), inflammation of the eye’s surfaces, or the inward or outward turning of eyelids can cause occasional dry eye.

Post-surgery

Refractive eye surgeries like LASIK can cause decreased tear production and lead to occasional dry eye.

Myth 3: It’s Just My Environment.

While our environments can contribute to experiencing occasional dry eye, there are often other factors in play like the ones listed above. Changing an external factor can help, but getting your tear film healthy and balanced is the most important change to implement to alleviate the symptoms of occasional dry eye. 

Myth 4: My Eyes Are Constantly Watery. I Can’t Have Occasional Dry Eye!

Believe it or not, watering eyes can be one of the symptoms of occasional dry eye. When you begin to experience the discomfort, your body’s natural response is to fix it. In an effort to relieve the dryness, it causes your eyes to water, but this excess amount of tears can overwhelm your eyes’ ability to drain tears away. That’s why your eyes start to water. While this might help for a bit, the dryness can return causing the same response!

Myth 5: This Has to Be a Symptom of Something Else.

While this is true per the above, experiencing occasional dry eye can be a problem on its own. It’s best to consult an eye care professional to figure out what the issue might be.

Myth 6: Drops Are the Only Solution.common-occasional-dry-eye-myths-1.png

Eye drops tend to be the first solution many people think of when it comes to relieving the burning, itchy, dryness, and other discomforts of occasional dry eye. Though they do work, they are often only a temporary solution, and some can even make the symptoms worse! If the symptoms persist, some eye care providers will recommend other remedies such as eyelid scrubs and warm eye compresses. Nutrition is another option for relieving the symptoms of occasional dry eye. Some eye care professionals will recommend increasing your intake of Omega-3s to help improve your eye’s natural ability to produce tears. However, it takes more than Omegas to improve symptoms from the inside out. EyePromise® EZ Tears™ is an eye health vitamin specifically designed for occasional dry eye relief. With high-quality Omega-3s plus 7 additional ingredients proven to reduce dryness and irritations, it’s been proven to work in as little as 1 week and guaranteed to reduce symptoms in 30 days. Learn more about EyePromise EZ Tears.

Myth 7: My Dry Eyes Are No Big Deal.

It’s easy to think that occasional dry eye is no big deal, but that’s not true. For some people, occasional dry eye can impact their daily lives, causing discomfort during simple tasks and affecting their ability to enjoy life. In terms of eye health, consistent dryness can lead to infections or even damage the surface of the eyes.

Myth 8: It’s Just Something I Have to Deal With.

Luckily, this is also not true. As mentioned above, there are several ways to find relief. It’s best to consult your eye care professional to figure out what will be the best option for you.

Sources

  1. https://modernod.com/articles/2019-mar/myths-and-misconceptions-in-dry-eye-disease-management?c4src=article:infinite-scroll 
  2. https://www.stahlny.com/2018/12/21/dry-eye-myths-avoid/ 
  3. https://www.shofnervisioncenter.com/post/top-5-chronic-dry-eye-myths-debunked 
  4. https://www.healthgrades.com/right-care/eye-health/7-myths-about-chronic-dry-eye

https://www.lvcenter4sight.com/common-occasional-dry-eye-myths/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I Spy a Stye in Your Eye

Image
Written by Dr. David Evans Last modified on August 6, 2018 What’s that small, red, pimple-like bump on your eyelid that’s causing so much discomfort? It’s probably a stye (sometimes referred to as a sty or hordeolum). Besides being difficult to say 5 times quickly, an eye stye is a type of localized infection that can occur along the base of your eyelashes or underneath your eyelid. Styes that form along the base of the eyelashes are called external styes. They typically occur as a result of an infected eyelash hair follicle and look like the type of pimple that occurs when your pores are clogged with dirt and oil. Styes that form inside the eyelid are called internal styes. Similar to external styes, they are caused by an infection of an oil-producing gland behind the eyelid rather than an eyelash hair follicle. Internal styes result in generalized swelling of the eyelid rather than forming a pimple-like bump. Stye Symptoms As a stye develops, you might begin to experience pain
Read more

Post-LASIK Refraction and Pregnancy – Much Ado About Nothing?

Image
Written by Dr. David Evans Last modified on August 23, 2018 During pregnancy, women experience a drastic shift in their hormonal balance that has a ripple effect throughout the body. The spike in hormones like progesterone, estrogen, prolactin, oxytocin and relaxin are all important for a healthy pregnancy, but these increased levels can also impact gastrointestinal processes, blood pressure, skin pigmentation and, you guessed it, ocular health. Due to refractive changes that often occur during pregnancy, most refractive surgeons advise against LASIK during pregnancy, instead suggesting women wait several months after giving birth before considering treatment. Women who have already undergone LASIK may then wonder if the changes in ocular health that can occur during and after pregnancy impact post-LASIK refraction. New research presented by John Kanellopoulos, MD, New York University Medical School, NY, and LaserVision.gr seems to throw cold water on any such concern. The Eyes an
Read more

Overuse of Contact Lenses

Image
How do make sure you aren’t overusing your lenses? Most people who have prescription eye glasses prefer wearing contact lenses. It’s not only comfortable but it also doesn’t alter your natural look. Though contact lenses are convenient they shouldn’t be used extensively. Overuse of contact lenses can cause serious damages to your eye. If you are not following the 18 hour week rule, then you could be overusing your contact lenses. In other words you must take out your contact lenses for at least 18 hours a week. Here are some symptoms which are indications that you are using you have your lenses on longer than you should, and you need to consult your eye doctor immediately: Pain and redness in the eye Itching when you remove your lenses Increased mucous secretion in the eye Decreased vision Photophobia or light sensitivity Tearing Inability to remove your lenses because they are stuck in the eye   Your eye needs direct oxygen to ‘breathe’ and remain healthy.
Read more