What dry eye treatment is best for you?

Dry eye may not be a serious, sight-threatening condition, but this uncomfortable problem affects many people and can get worse in winter. There’s no need to suffer in silence though, our expert optometrist has some solutions for you!

What is Dry Eye?

Dry Eye is caused by a lack of tears or the production of poor quality tears. This could be due to the Meibomian glands along the eyelid margins, which produce oil as part of your tear film to keep your eyes lubricated, becoming blocked or inflamed.

Dry, sore eyes are the most common symptoms of dry eye but there are many other symptoms that you can experience.

A gritty feeling like there is something in your eye is another common one. Blurred vision, redness, watery eyes, and in some people increased sensitivity to light, can all be caused by Dry Eye.

Causes of Dry Eye

There are several possible causes of Dry Eye. Winter can make the condition worse as cold, windy weather irritates the eyes, and central heating indoors can dry them out.

People who spend a lot of time looking at screens often have problems with dry eye due to not blinking enough, which act to spread moisture across your eyes. Age can also be a factor, as experiencing dry eyes becomes more common as you grow older.

Dry Eye treatment

Although there is no permanent cure, there are effective management options available for Dry Eye treatment in the UK.

Eye drops for dry eyes are probably the most common and effective treatment for many people. There are also some lifestyle changes you can make that could help, such as taking regular screen breaks, making sure you drink plenty of water throughout the day, using a humidifier indoors to add moisture to the air, and wearing wraparound sunglasses when you go outside in bright, cold winter weather to protect your eyes.

Practising good eyelid margin hygiene is important too, such as using a warm flannel or compress for 10 minutes every day to help unblock the Meibomian glands and taking a break from contact lenses if you do wear them every so often to give your eyes a break, as lens wearers can experience more irritation from Dry Eye.

Get in touch

If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms we mentioned above, it’s a good idea to contact our opticians in Kensal Rise. They can discuss your symptoms with you and will be able to advise you on the best course of action.

It’s important to get checked by our optometrist, Hitesh Lachani, so he can recommend the right eye drops, gels, or ointments for your eyes too, especially for contact lens wearers, as some drops with preservatives can cause irritation.