Dry eyes Karu maroke

Dry eyes are common as you get older. They are more common in women than men. They are linked with some health conditions and medicines, and with screen use.

Things that can lead to dry eyes include:

• inflamed eyelid margins and scaly eyelashes (blepharitis)
• medicines such as decongestants, antihistamines, oral contraceptives, antidepressants and isotretinoin
• long term conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, asthma, thyroid disease and other immune diseases
• screen use — users tend to blink less
• wearing contact lenses.

Common symptoms include:

• eyes feeling gritty or sandy
• red eyes
• sore eyes, often with a burning feeling
• variable or blurred vision that gets better after blinking
• uncomfortable contact lenses
• being very sensitive to light.

You should contact your optometrist or healthcare provider if:

• your eyes are painful or red
• it gets harder to see well or your vision is blurred
• your eyes have a coloured discharge (pus), or your eyelids are stuck together when you wake up
• you have glaucoma, rheumatoid arthritis or diabetes
• the dry eyes continue for 7 to 10 days, despite treatment.

The aim is to treat any obvious cause, for example by:

• changing medicines
• avoiding wearing contact lenses
• reducing screen time.

Self care

You can try treating dry eyes yourself. Artificial tears or ointment can help, and you can buy them from a pharmacy.

You can treat eyelid inflammation (blepharitis) by cleaning your eyelids and using hot compresses. This can relieve your dry eyes by improving the protective tear layer.

Eating more oily fish or taking a fish oil, flaxseed oil or other omega-3 fatty acid supplement may help dry eyes. Check with your healthcare provider or pharmacist before taking a fish oil supplement to make sure this is safe for you.

Other treatment options

If these treatments do not work, see your healthcare provider or optometrist to review the diagnosis and discuss other treatment options. These include:

• other prescription drops
• minor eye surgery to block the drainage of your tears or fix eyelid problems.

You can help prevent dry eye symptoms by:

• protecting your eyes from sun and wind by wearing wrap-around sunglasses
• avoiding irritants such as smoke, dust, cosmetics and chlorine
• avoiding air conditioners that dry the air, or turning down the fan speed to reduce air movement
• not wearing contact lenses for too long
• using a humidifier at home
• using artificial tears or lubricant regularly.

If you spend a long time reading, watching TV or working on a computer, make sure you take breaks. Closing your eyes for 10 seconds every 5 to 10 minutes will help, as will blinking more often.