You’ve probably felt it before. That annoying, dry eye feeling that is a tell-tale sign that it’s been a long day or the air conditioning is a little too strong. But how do you know if your eyes are dry, or if it’s a sign of something more serious? Dry eyes get progressively worse over time, but if you know what to look for you could help improve dry eyes.
Redness, especially after looking at bright screens or working all day
Red eyes are a sign that something isn’t quite right. Your eyes appear red when the tiny blood vessels located along the white part of your eye become irritated and inflamed. Not blinking enough, or having incomplete blinks dry environments like offices, or staring at bright screens for too long can all cause your eyes to appear red. It’s important to break this cycle before it becomes more serious.
Speak to your optometrist about what you can do to help reduce the appearance of red eyes.
Excessive eye rubbing
It might feel nice at the time, but rubbing your eyes is a sign that something isn’t quite right. The nerve endings in your eyes start to register pain as your eyes dry out, and the natural reaction is to close and rub them to feel better. But just because that’s a natural reaction doesn’t mean it’s a good habit! Excessively rubbing your eyes could be an indication that you are allergic to something in your environment
If it’s not an allergic reaction to something, eye rubbing might be a sign that your eyes are drying out. An eye test at your local Optical Express can help identify what is causing eye dryness and give you solutions to treat it.
Intolerance to contact lenses
Are you increasingly desperate for a break from your contact lenses? After wearing them for years, it might be natural to want to wear them less. That could be a sign that they’re the culprit for your dry eyes. If you notice your eyes becoming dry you should visit your optometrist to chat about your options. Your optometrist can perform tests to confirm the type and cause of dry eye.
Redness, excessive eye rubbing, and intolerance to your contact lenses are all early signs of dry eyes, but they could also be indicators of a condition known as Meibomian Gland Dysfunction. For those with Meibomian Gland Dysfunction, relief can be found in a LipiFlow treatment, which is a gentle procedure that treats the cause of dry eyes – not the symptoms. Optical Express offers a free consultation to check your suitability for LipiFlow, so if dry eyes are an issue, now’s the time to get in touch.
Stop dry eye before it gets worse. Speak to an optometrist about LipiFlow today.
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