Do you feel your eyes burning, hurting like something has entered your eyes, or your vision getting blurry?If yes then you might be having a dry eye disease. Dry eyes is a common eye disorder that affects about millions of people globally.Keep reading to delve deeper into the causes of dry eyes.What is a dry eye?Your eyes require tears to stay lubricated. When your eyes do not produce less tears, your eyes loose hydration and lubrication and this uncomfortable condition is called dry eye.Suggested Read: Itching Eyes? Discover the Cause!What are the symptoms of a dry eye?Dry eyes can have symptoms like:Burning eyesRed eyesSore and irritated eyesFeeling like something has entered you eyesSensitivity to lightBlurred visionExcessive tearingInflamed eyelidsAnd difficulty wearing contact lenses.If you experience these symptoms, it's important to see a doctor for treatment.Suggested Read: The secret to healthy eyesWhat are the causes of a dry eye?Dry eyes can occur in hot and scorching summers and also in dry winters. But, dry eye is mainly caused by three reasons. Let's have a look into it:Your eyes are lubricated and protected by the tear film which is made of 3 layers which include: the water base that is tear, the oily base and the mucus. If there is a problem with any of these layers then it can lead to dry eyes.If your tear glands are not producing enough tear, your eyes cannot be lubricated and lead to dry eyes.Older people usually make less tears due to hormonal changes. A dry eye can be experienced by both men and women. But women, especially those who have gone through menopause, are more prone to dry eyes.If the meibomian glands which produce oily substance that prevents eyes from getting dry, are not working well, then it can also lead to dry eyes.Suggested Read: Cataracts And Aging: What To KnowSome other factors which can be held responsible for dry eyes are:Diseases, like rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid and lupus.Swelling or redness in eyelids.Climatic conditions like dry weather.Constantly looking at a digital screen for a long duration, reading and other activities that reduce blinking.Frequent and longer use of contact lenses.Having eye surgery.Use certain medicines, like diuretics, beta-blockers, antihistamines, sleeping pills, anxiety and antidepressant medicines, medicines for heartburn.Suggested Read: What Causes Dark Circles Under The Eyes
Do you have to wear your specs to see the world clearly? Do you want to get a sharp vision? So, this video is for you!We will talk about 5 foods that can help you improve your eyesight naturally. Let's dive in:1. Green Leafy Vegetables: Vegetables like collard greens, kale, and spinach are rich in vitamins A, C, and E which help to lower the risk of eye disease. It is beneficial for combating sight loss conditions such as macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa.2. You can eat, Fruits and vegetables such as sweet potato, carrots, mangoes, and apricots which are highly in beta-carotene which gets converted into vitamin A and helps improve your night vision, which is an ability for our eyes to adjust to darkness.3. Fish: Fish has fatty acids like omega 3, which has been found to have benefits for eye problems such as meibomian gland dysfunction which is a gland in the eyes that produces an oily substance to prevent dryness of the eyes.4. Eating eggs is always considered as good source of Omega 3 fatty acids which helps improve your eyesight. It also contains vitamin C, E, lutein, and zeaxanthin which is another carotenoid related to lutein that promotes eye sight.5. Dairy products like Yogurt and Milk are rich in Zinc and Vitamin A which protect cornea and improves your nighttime vision. To get full benefits of dairy products, drink grass-fed milk in the morning or before bedtime and eat yogurt during mid-day or after lunch.Source:-1. Rasmussen, H. M., & Johnson, E. J. (2013). Nutrients for the aging eye. Clinical interventions in aging, 8, 741–748. https://doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S453992. Lawrenson, J. G., & Downie, L. E. (2019). Nutrition and Eye Health. Nutrients, 11(9), 2123. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11092123
Dry eyes means your tear glands in eyes are not producing enough tears to lubricate your eyes. Lubrication of eyes is important to keep the eye healthy.Dry eyes can be caused due to clogged tear glands or external weather such as extreme heat or too cold and also dehydration.Here are a 5 home remedies to treat dry and irritated eyes:1. Try warm compression with a cloth soaked and squeezed from warm water and place it over your eyes. And slowly press the eye edges to eliminate the clogged oils from the tear glands.2. Blink more when you are working on a laptop and also try to rest your eyes for at least 5 minutes after one hour of computer or screen use. Simply close your eyes after every 1 hour of using screen.3. you can do is to clean your eyes and eyelids well with baby soap and water to remove all the dirt. It can help remove any irritation and inflammation in eyes.4. You can increase the intake of Omega 3 fatty acids which can enhance the activity of eye glands and help your eye work better.5. You can keep yourself hydrated that helps to maintain the moisture in your body including eyes. Try drinking 10-12 glasses of water each day.Source:-1. Prinz, J., Maffulli, N., Fuest, M., Walter, P., Hildebrand, F., & Migliorini, F. (2023). Honey-Related Treatment Strategies in Dry Eye Disease. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland), 16(5), 762. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph160507622. Mittal, R., Patel, S., & Galor, A. (2021). Alternative therapies for dry eye disease. Current opinion in ophthalmology, 32(4), 348–361. https://doi.org/10.1097/ICU.0000000000000768
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5 best foods for eyes!
Dr. Beauty Gupta
Doctor of Pharmacy