Eye Care

DID YOU KNOW?

The lacimal glands above each of your eyes produces your tears. When you blink tears cross over your eyes to protect them from dust and germs. Any excess is picked up in the lacimal ducts. Crying is an overflow of tears.

Have you noticed lately that your eyes seem to scratch and burn? Do your eyes tear up unexpectedly when you're using the computer or on cold, windy days? Do your eyes turn red if you're exposed to smoke or wind? Dry eyes are painful and annoying, but they can be treated naturally or with medicine.

How Prevalent Are Dry Eyes?

If you need to know how to care for your dry eyes, you are not alone. Studies show that more than 3.2 million people in the United States need dry eye care.

The condition is most prevalent in women – eight percent of women over the age of 50 in the United States need dry eye care.

What Are the Causes Of Dry Eyes?

Dry eye syndrome is reportedly caused by on or more of three things:

* Inflammation occurring with autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis

* Systemic lupus erythematosus

* Sjogren's disease can cause dry eyes

Another cause of excessively dry eyes is a problem with the outer layer of the tears that may permit rapid evaporation of the tear fluid. This condition is sometimes caused by insufficient testosterone in the body. It can also be caused by side effects of other medications, such as antihistamines, antidepressants, and diuretics, among others, which can interfere with the production of tear fluid.

Symptoms Of Dry Eyes

Sufferers of dry eye syndrome experience:

* Burning eyes

* Scratchy eyes

* Stringy discharge in the eyes

* Excessive tearing

* Intolerance of smoke and wind

* Blurry vision

Conservative Treatment for Dry Eyes

Dry eye care can be simple or complex, depending on what is causing your dry eye syndrome. If dry eyes are a side effect of a medication your doctor has prescribed for you, tell your doctor about your dry eye problems. A substitute medication may be available that will treat your medical condition without causing your eyes to dry up. If no substitute is available, you may be able to diminish the side effect by decreasing the dosage of your medication.

Artificial tears are only a temporary solution, but they can still provide much needed emergency relief to the dry eye sufferer. Artificial tears are saline eye drops that lubricate the eye. Remember, however, they are not a long-term solution for dry eye care, and they do nothing to treat or cure the underlying condition that causes the dryness.

Topical cyclosporine, which must be prescribed by your doctor, treats the inflammation that can cause dry eyes while it lubricates the eyes. Many patients report that they get fast relief from dry eye syndrome once they start using cyclosporine. This dry eye care treatment has very few, if any, side effects.

At Diet Health and Fitness we suggest that you do something about your dry eye problem. The condition will not just go away on its own. Remember eye drops only provide temporary relief and are generally not healthy for your eyes, so limit their use. Please visit your doctor or one of the links below for further help.