Treatment of dry eyes with medicine

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor II Nguyen Thai Hung - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.
Dry eye disease is one of the common symptoms of office workers, who often have to sit in front of a computer screen. Although dry eyes are not too dangerous, they will cause tired, red, and burning eyes, making you less efficient at work.

1. What causes dry eyes?

Dry eyes are a very common condition affecting more than 37 million people worldwide. These are the consequences of an imbalance between tear secretion and tear drainage including:
1.1 Insufficient amount of tears Tears are secreted from glands in and around the eyelids. The amount of tears decreases with age. Climatic conditions such as wind and dry weather also reduce the amount of tears. When the amount of tears produced is not enough, it causes dry eye disease.
Age: Dry eyes are part of the natural aging process so most people > 65 years old will have some symptoms of dry eyes. Gender: Women are more prone to dry eyes than men due to hormonal changes after pregnancy, oral contraceptive use, and menopause.

1.2 Poor tear quality A normal tear film consists of three important components:
The outermost lipid layer, produced by the Meibomius glands, keeps tears from evaporating too quickly and helps water the eye is still on the eye. The watery middle layer contains the tear fraction as well as water-soluble proteins. This water layer is created by the main and accessory glands. It nourishes the cornea and conjunctiva, the mucous membrane that covers the entire front of the eye and the inside of the eyelids. The inner mucin layer is produced by goblet cells, which bind water from the aqueous layer to ensure that the eye stays wet. 1.3 Due to medication Use of antihistamines, anti-inflammatory drugs, antihypertensives, and pain relievers can reduce the amount of tears produced. Especially the problem of using eye drops without an ophthalmologist's prescription, using long-term eye drops or drugs containing preservatives, ..

1.4 Due to systemic or ocular diseases People with rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and thyroid lesions may have dry eye syndrome. Inflammation of the eyelids, surface of the eyeball, or abnormalities of the eyelids (blumps, clefts) can also cause dry eyes.
1.5 Living and working environment conditions Exposure to cigarette smoke, high winds or dry weather causes rapid evaporation of tears. When working at a computer for long periods of time, being too focused without blinking often also contributes to dry eyes.
1.6 Other factors Prolonged use of contact lenses is a predisposing factor for dry eyes. Surgery that affects the surface of the conjunctiva, cornea such as lasik surgery, phaco surgery, ... can be the cause of progressive dry eyes, cases of blepharitis or open eyelids also cause dry eyes. ,...
Each component plays an important role. For example, the oil component helps keep the tear film from evaporating too quickly and increases lubrication, while the mucus helps to spread tears over the surface of the eye. Any damage to the surface of the eyeball causes dry eye.
The most common form of dry eye syndrome is an insufficient amount of the watery layer of the tear film. In this case, it is called mute keratitis.

2. Typical symptoms of dry eyes

Dry and gritty feeling like sand in the eye. Eye pain Burning eyes Increased sensitivity to light Excessive tearing Feeling of eyelids sticking to eyeballs when blinking.

3. Is dry eye disease dangerous?

People often think that dry eyes are just a temporary discomfort in the eyes, not a disease. However, the reality is not so.
If the eyes are dry for a long time, the eyes are susceptible to infection, inflammation, scarring of the corneal surface, vision loss or even permanent vision loss if not detected and treated early.

4. Treatment of dry eye disease

In fact, dry eye is a chronic syndrome. Once it is chronic, it is almost impossible to completely cure it. So it's the ophthalmologist's job to find the cause of dry eyes to treat and keep your eyes healthy, comfortable, and to maintain the best vision.
Methods to treat dry eye include: Add artificial tears, maintain the tear film on the surface of the eyeball, increase tear secretion, treat inflammation of the eyelid as well as the eyeball surface.
4.1 Artificial tears For mild cases of dry eyes can be treated with artificial tears and can be used regularly. It is better to use artificial tears without preservatives because preservatives will be toxic to the eyes with prolonged use. However, in cases of moderate to severe dry eye, the use of artificial tears replacement is not enough, and additional methods are needed.

4.2 Maintenance of the tear film One effective method to relieve the unpleasant symptoms of dry eye is to keep the natural tears in the eye for a long time. This can be accomplished by stopping tears from crossing the lacrimal line by blocking the tear ducts with a silicone plug or by surgically closing the tear duct permanently.

5. Notes when treating dry eyes

For the question "What medicine to use for dry eyes?" You can use eye drops to increase tear production prescribed by your ophthalmologist. It is best to use natural Omega-3s.
Treatment of inflammation of the eyelids and ocular surface: It is necessary to use ointments or ointments to lubricate the eyes according to the prescription of an ophthalmologist. Methods such as warm compresses, eyelid massage, eyelid washing will help reduce inflammation around the eyes.
The following steps can reduce the symptoms of dry eyes:
Drink enough water: daily should drink 8-10 glasses of filtered water to help the body stay in a state of hydrogenation and always eliminate waste products. Remember to blink often when reading or using the computer for long periods of time. Do not let your eyes work too hard, the intensity of working on the computer is too great, will make your eyes not only dry, but also have to adjust a lot, causing a feeling of fatigue for the eyes, should not stay up late to work. with computer Avoid irritating effects, rubbing eyes such as rubbing eyes. Keep books 30-50 cm away when reading. If you work, study or use a computer for many hours, you should take a break every hour for about 5 minutes to relax your eyes. Do not abuse the air conditioner. Creating conditions for our eyes to relax in clean spaces, lots of trees and fresh air is an effective way to prevent dry eyes. Wear eyeglasses when to protect eyes from the impact of sun, wind, dust, polluted environment. Do not let the air blow directly into the eyes (air conditioner, blower, ...). Should add foods such as tomatoes, carrots, papaya, grapes, gac, salmon, turkey, oranges, peanuts... supplements of vitamins A, C, E, zinc, folic acid have beneficial for the eyes. Artificial tears can be added to soothe the eyes 4-6 times a day, preferably artificial tears without preservatives.

In short, prolonged dry eye disease can cause damage to the cornea, impaired vision. Therefore, patients need to regularly visit the eye hospital to detect lesions in time.
Specialist II Nguyen Thai Hung has 13 years of experience as an eye doctor at C Hospital Da Nang and Ngu Hanh Son General Hospital - Da Nang. Currently working as an Ophthalmologist at the Inter-specialty Clinic of Medical Examination - Internal Medicine, Vinmec International General Hospital Da Nang.
Any questions that need to be answered by a specialist doctor as well as customers who need medical examination and treatment at Vinmec International General Hospital, you can contact Vinmec Health System nationwide or register Register online HERE.

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