Cathy G. a.k.a. Fashion Maven
Here’s what’s been going on with my eyes for the last few months and why I want to “tear” them out of my head! They’ve been beyond irritated almost as if someone blew 1,300 lashes into my eyes then forced me to blink, they’re excessively watery (puzzling as you find out the cause), burn, with blurred vision.
Off to my trusted VSP optometrist, I went, and here’s what he was able to assess through an eye exam. Mine are classic symptoms of…drum roll please…dry eye syndrome, or not producing enough tears or having poor tear quality. My particular malfunction is with tear quality. Really? Seriously?
You’re probably wondering, like I was, how does this happen? Well, dry eye syndrome can be brought on by a variety of factors such as environment, computer and/or digital device use, age (typically over 65), some medical conditions, certain medications, gender (yes ladies, its more prevalent in women) and other factors which may include long term contact lens use or after refractive eye surgeries like LASIK.
All that said, my optometrist put me on a treatment plan to help manage the symptoms yet informed me that it can be a chronic condition. Yikes! There are a few different approaches but here’s my plan for improving my tear quality:
* Hot compresses twice a day while gently massaging eyelids
* Use artificial tears specifically designed for dry eye
* Take nutritional supplements containing essential fatty acids
* Drink plenty of water
* Blink regularly while at the computer or using digital devices (a.k.a. the 20/20/20 rule)
* Wear computer vision glasses
* Wear sunglasses outdoors, to protect from the wind and sun
Why am I telling you all my dry eye woes? I sincerely hope that if one of you reads this and thinks that you may have dry eye syndrome know that there is hope for more comfortable vision. Please see your optometrist for an eye exam and treatment options tailored to your specific needs.
Wishing you all adequate tear production and fabulous tear quality!
Fashion Maven (a.k.a. dry eye girl)
