Dry Eye Syndrome: How to Prevent and Treat It with Simple Self-Care Methods

Do your eyes hurt often, like a burning or a stinging sensation? Do you feel ocular grittiness, and your eyes seem to be perpetually red? This is medically called dry eye condition. This happens when the minute tear glands located near the eyelids have stopped making adequate tears. That is why your eyes are facing issues and your vision is getting blurred.

With easy eye care tips that help you address the signs of dry eye. However, it is recommended that you consult with an eye specialist in Delhi before the condition aggravates.

Let us first briefly understand the role of tears in keeping the eyes healthy and vision clear.

Tears & Their Role

Tears, a mixture of water, mucous, and oil, have a special role in the optical domain. They are meant to keep the eye surface moist and lubricated. This makes the functioning of the eyes seamless and comfortable. When tears flow, they carry dust, debris, and particles with them. This safeguards the eyes from infection.

Normal eyes produce tears every day. However, due to different reasons like medicines, diseases, and age, the capacity of the glands to produce tears decreases. That is when dry eyes occur. In case the condition is disturbing your daily life, you must get it diagnosed by the best eye doctor in Delhi NCR.

What Are Easy Dry Eye Syndrome Self-Care Ways?

While seeing a doctor is advisable, you can start with a few tips for eye care.

1. Blinking Tricks: People who need to stare continuously at their computer screens are more likely to suffer from dry eye syndrome. These tips are for them.

• Use the 20/20 rule: After every 20 minutes, close your eyes for 20 seconds to give respite to your eyes.
  
  
• Place the laptop screen below the level of your eyes. This means that you do not have to keep your eyes wide open while working. This slows down tear evaporation.

1. Warm Compress: The tear-making glands get clogged leading to inflammation of the eyelid. Often, along the edge the flaky lids cause the eyes to go dry. A warm compression can help. Take a clean washcloth. Dip it in warm water. Wring out the excess water and position it on your closed eyes. Keep it for 60 seconds. The heat of the cloth stimulates the clogged glands to loosen up. Keep repeating till the irritation fades away.
   
   
2. Drink Enough Water: Water is a must to prevent dry eye syndrome as the eyes need as much water as the rest of your body to stay healthy. This is a simple trick. You do not have to use any costly eye care product to keep your eyes moist. Keep drinking water regularly - do not wait till the last moment when you start to feel thirsty. 8 to 10 glasses of water in 24 hours is good to go. Consume fruits like watermelon and cucumber that are rich in water.
   
   
3. Keep Your Eyelids Clean: If the dry eye condition is due to inflamed eyelids, the best eye care tip at home is to keep it clean. You can use mild soap or baby shampoo for cleaning purposes. Take a drop on your fingertip. Close your eyes and massage gently on the eyelids, nearer the eyelashes.
   
   
4. Increase Consumption of Oily Fish: Consuming fish that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids can make a big difference. As per medical studies, omega-3 fats play a crucial role in the functioning of the eye glands. On your diet chart, include fish like salmon, trout, tuna, sardines, or mackerel. These are the best sources of natural healthy fat.

Vegetarians can consume foods like walnuts, flaxseeds, and vegetables and fruits rich in soybean and canola oils. The alternative of taking omega-3 supplements is also there but you must first consult with an eye specialist in Delhi.

1. Opt for Wraparound Sunglasses: Environmental conditions can also affect the eyes, aggravating dry eye syndrome. To address this, you can wear sunglasses that cover the eyes from all sides. This prevents the eyes from being affected by dry winds because winds tend to evaporate tears faster.

Similarly, at home, when using hair dryers, fans, etc., try avoiding the flow of direct air onto your eyes.

1. Use of Appliances: Appliances like humidifiers can be used to maintain the moisture levels inside your home. This especially works effectively as a trick eye care in summer. Humidifiers prevent indoor air from getting dry, helping directly in keeping your eyes moist.

Also, to keep indoor air clean, you can use air cleaners with filters. This prevents dust particles from entering the eyes and causing irritation.

1. Use Over-the-Counter Eye Drops: These drops mimic the way your natural tears work. The only hitch is that while easily available ointments for under-eye care are okay to use generically, for eye drops, you need to be cautious. Different companies manufacture these drops. Some use preservatives, but these can aggravate irritation. Eye drops without preservatives are okay to use, but speaking with an eye surgeon in Delhi is highly advised before use. Avoid using drops that remove the redness from your eyes because eventually, this will hurt more.

Consult ophthalmologist if symptoms persist and to discuss the options of lipiflow treatment and Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatment with the treating ophthalmologist.