What to do about dry eyes?
You often suffer from dry eyes. What causes dry eyes? What eye sprays and eye drops can you use? Our optician Sarah Marlien helps you understand this symptom.
We talk about dry eyes when the eye, or more precisely the lacrimal system, no longer produces enough tears, creating a feeling of discomfort and irritation when blinking or wearing contact lenses. You may then experience stinging, a gritty sensation in the eyes, red eyes, or sticky eyelids. This symptom is often linked to aging.
Tears play a protective role. They act as barriers against bacteria or dust. It is through blinking that tears spread, which allows any impurities that might enter the eye to be removed.
If this barrier is broken or not thick enough, the cornea can be directly irritated and damaged (for example, by direct friction from dust that scrapes the eye when the eyelid blinks). Having an irritated cornea can be a gateway for the spread of bacteria inside the eye (keratitis, etc.).
This dry eye phenomenon can be exacerbated by environmental factors (air conditioning, prolonged screen time, pollution, cigarette smoke, etc.). Some medications can have side effects such as a decrease in tear production or a change in it.
Indeed, tears are composed of fat, which prevents rapid evaporation. If the balance of tear composition changes, this can cause discomfort due to this accelerated evaporation. Perhaps you also have a vitamin A deficiency? The cause may also be a blockage of the excretory ducts.
Combating dry eyes with artificial tears
and eye sprays
and eye sprays
It is important to understand the cause of the problem in order to choose the best treatment for your individual case. However, some advice applies to everyone:
- Practice good eye hygiene (clean your eyes thoroughly, don't hesitate to use warm compresses and cleanse by stimulating the glands along the free edge of the eye by massaging with cotton wool while your eyes are closed),
- Respect the daily wearing time for your contact lenses (8 hours/day on average),
- Limit etching external agents (air conditioning, pollution, wind, cigarette smoke, etc.).
Vitamin B12 can promote healing if the eye is irritated,
Eye drops and tear replacement gels can be used as many times as necessary to restore occasional comfort and prevent rubbing that can cause corneal irritation.
For example, you can use eye sprays from the brands Blink (Refreshing Spray) and Aqualarm Intensive Spray Bausch+Lomb, or Bausch+Lomb Aqualarm UP eye drops and Blink Refreshing (strength 1/4) and Blink Intensive (strength 3/4) drops. You can also test different products and find the eye spray or eye drops that best suit your needs and your own dry eye condition.
This dry eye syndrome should be closely monitored to avoid illnesses that can occur if left untreated.
Don't hesitate to talk to your ophthalmologist or optician, or ask us your questions on our website using our form, so we can get an answer tailored to your eyes, your lifestyle, and your contact lenses. color or your contact lenses.