As practice shows, in recent years, dry eye syndrome is increasingly common. Almost half of the ophthalmologist’s patients, receiving various complaints, receive such a diagnosis. The disease is caused by a decrease in the quality of the fluid produced by the lacrimal glands, as well as the insufficient volume of the produced substance.
How to suspect?
It’s easy to notice the symptoms of a dry eye - many describe the feeling of “sand in the eyes”. Most tearing is activated, after which comes a feeling of dryness. The progress of the disease is accompanied by pain, burning. Over time, a person is faced with a fear of light, a weakening of vision in the evening. Eyes quickly blush, constantly disturbed by a feeling of discomfort. Such changes affect the performance quite strongly - a person cannot spend a long time in front of the monitor, and over time, even watching TV causes a strong discomfort.
Symptoms of dry eye syndrome are activated if the patient is in a room with the air conditioner turned on. The situation is aggravated by heat fans, heat guns, smokiness of space, wind. The lacrimal glands produce a viscous secretion that stretches out of the eyes in thin strings. This condition is extremely uncomfortable for the patient, which forces one to seek qualified help. Doctors pay attention: it’s not worth pulling, it is a professional who will be able to choose the best way to eliminate the syndrome.
Anatomy and medicine
To understand the essence of the cause of dry eye syndrome, you should understand the structure of the human visual organs. To moisturize the cornea, special components are normally produced - complex fluids. The source of the substance is the glands of Krause, meibomian, Zeiss, Wolfring and some others. An important role is played by the small, large lacrimal glands. Each organ produces a unique composition that is different from the others, and the secret secretion mechanism is initiated by various factors. For example, emotional experiences activate the main gland, which is responsible for the release of tear fluid. It works if a person feels pain or the cornea is injured. This separation of tears is reflex. If you do not cry during the day, the main gland creates about two milliliters of secretion. But in the presence of an activating factor of the substance, up to 30 ml can stand out.
The conjunctival cavity is another element of the visual system that is important regarding the production of various secrets. This cavity separates the eyeball from the eyelid, in shape resembles a gap. Normally, 7 ml of tear secretion accumulates here. The substance is distributed by a thin film on the eye surface in front. Coating thickness - no more than 12 micrometers, which are divided into three layers. The first layer is mucous, distributed over the epithelium and designed to store moisture. What follows is watery, including organic compounds, saline solutions. The final one is lipid, which prevents liquid evaporation, which controls heat transfer between the cornea and epithelium. The film as a whole is responsible for protecting the eye, and for metabolism, and for the ability to see. Violation of its composition leads to the appearance of dry eye syndrome.
How does it work?
The lipid shell is responsible for protection against small particles suspended in the air, prevents evaporation. The watery layer washes the ocular surface, removing harmful particles, normalizes the level of acidity, destroys pathological microorganisms - viruses, bacteria. Mucus can envelop foreign objects, which reduces the risk of eye injury. At the same time, this entire system is responsible for metabolism, transporting the necessary components to the cornea, moisturizing the layers of the visual organ, and removing dead elements. Such processes are provided by electrolytes, organic components, which are rich in the watery layer.
The eye film provides wetting of the eyelid with every movement of the visual organ. As soon as its stability is violated, a person begins to worry about dry eye syndrome. Sometimes the reason is a decrease in the number of gland secretions, in some cases it is due to external factors that destroy the film. This can provoke dustiness of the atmosphere, pollution by exhaust gases, increased dryness, tobacco smoke. Sometimes the reason is active evaporation, leading to thinning of the film.
Causes of pathology
Various factors can provoke dry eye syndrome. Often the problem is organic - the lacrimal glands have defects, the cornea does not receive enough nutrition, the patient underwent surgery on his organs of vision. Provoke such a disease can paralysis of the nerves of the face. It is known that the problem accompanies the intake of various medications. There is a risk of the syndrome if a person uses oral contraceptives, medications to adjust blood pressure and eliminate headaches. Dry eye syndrome may develop with antidepressants.
Negative changes can be provoked by: low-quality cosmetics, tension, prolonged work on the computer, prolonged viewing of the TV. Sometimes it’s about age-related changes - menopause, old age. Understanding the symptoms and treatment of dry eye syndrome is often the result of eye injuries, as well as people forced to live in contaminated environments. An unbalanced diet can play a role.
Degrees and differences
The factors described above can cause a violation of the integrity of the lacrimal foam. Sometimes there are a lot of gaps, so the surface cannot restore integrity, dry patches begin to appear. It is customary to talk about a mild form of the disease, moderate, severe. There is also a very severe dry eye syndrome. Symptoms and treatment of these forms are similar in essence, but differ in degree of difficulty and disturbing sensations.
At a young age, the disease often appears in a mild form, and it is provoked by the use of lenses or prolonged work at the computer. Operations, injuries are also quite common causes of the problem. In some cases, with questions about how to treat dry eye syndrome, people who eat foods that are too low in fat come to the doctor. According to statistics, in recent years, this ailment has worried young people more often than older people.
According to reviews, dry eye syndrome often appears in people aged 50 years and older. The reason lies in age-related changes. Fatty structures are produced by body cells much weaker (by about 60%) than at a young age, so the visual organs lack a protective shell component. The reason may be glaucoma, provoked by the prolonged use of some drops. It is known that the disease can provoke pathologies of Stephen-Johnson, Sjogren.
How to identify a problem?
If the causes of the disease are “dry eye syndrome”, the symptoms are observed quite clearly, cause concern, then it's time to go to the doctor. First, the doctor interviews the patient, compiles a list of all complaints, examines the cornea of ​​the eye with a strong increase. In addition, it is necessary to examine the conjunctiva, the edges of the eyelids in order to determine if there are altered areas. For this, specialized medical drops are used. The doctor checks the speed with which tear secrets form and how quickly the fluids evaporate. Using a special technique, the doctor evaluates the quality of the tear film of the eye.
Quite often, with the described problem there are no tear menisci. This term in medicine refers to small thickenings of the film, normally going along the edge of the eyelid from the bottom to the back. Instead, when examined, the doctor observes the conjunctiva, and the tissue is dimmer than healthy areas. Most likely, the doctor will prescribe drops for the eyes with dry eye syndrome, if the conjunctiva is swollen, the lacrimal film contains foreign objects - epithelial filaments, air bubbles, mucous clots.
What to do?
The first measure that is taken to eliminate the problem is to ensure hydration of the mucosa. For this, eye drops designed for patients with dry eye syndrome are used. On sale, they are presented as artificial tears. Such substances on the ocular surface quickly form a film that lasts a long time. The frequency of use of drops is 3-8 times a day daily. Specific indicators depend on how severe the disease is.
In a particularly severe case, the doctor may recommend surgery. This option is rarely practiced, it is necessary if the tear fluid is produced in too small a volume, which is accompanied by degradation of the corneal tissue. To minimize the loss of secretion produced by the glands, a small plug of silicone is used, which closes the hole in the fluid channel. Usually, after surgery, doctors instruct which drops of dry eye syndrome the patient needs to use during the rehabilitation period.
How to warn?
In order not to have to cure the disease, it makes sense to conduct regular prophylaxis, fortunately, this does not require significant efforts. Especially relevant are the issues of preventing the syndrome for those who spend more than four hours daily in front of a computer monitor. Drink plenty of fluids, take ten-minute breaks regularly. It will not be superfluous to check how far the monitor is from the eyes - it should be comparable with the length of the straightened arm. The center point should be 10 cm below the line connecting the point and the center of rotation of the eyeball. If possible, it is necessary to control how frequent blinking is - the higher the concentration of attention, the slower this process, which is dangerous for the mucosa, leads to active evaporation of the liquid.
In the warm season, you should use hats with fields, a visor, and also have glasses for protection from the sun. Direct sunlight provokes a very rapid evaporation of the liquid. If you need to live in a hot climate, you should get the habit of constantly flushing your eyes with water. But do not forget about the dangers of frost for the organs of vision. To prevent a dry eye, you need to blink often, thereby constantly updating the protective shell.
What to look for?
Alternative treatment of dry eye syndrome involves the normalization of diet. You should choose a diet so that no excess fat or lack of fat comes from food. Both extreme conditions negatively affect human health.
Since aggressive external factors negatively affect the health of the eye, it is necessary to stay in dangerous conditions as little as possible. If the lifestyle, conditions are such that it is not possible to avoid a negative effect, it is necessary to make it a habit to constantly use drops to protect the eyes. It is equally important to take a responsible approach to the choice of cosmetics using only high-quality products. Before an evening break, makeup should be removed using products designed for this purpose, designed specifically for the eyes. Avoid substances that contain alcohol, since the substance dries the skin, eyes.
Keeping your eyes in good shape
Folk remedies for dry eye syndrome suggest regular gymnastics for the organs of vision. Classes are pretty simple. First you need to take a comfortable sitting pose, relax and close your eyes, then start the rotation clockwise and in the opposite direction - 10 circles. The next step is moving up, down, on the sides. Then 10 times in a row the eyelids are squeezed strongly, blinking, a hundred times blinking quickly, easily. The next step involves moving to the window, selecting a point on the glass and concentrating on it, then moving it into the distance, maintaining the level of vision. After a while, they again return to the first point and repeat the cycle about ten times.
Herbs to help man
Treatment of dry eye syndrome with folk remedies is a topic of interest to many. Not everyone has the time, desire and financial ability to buy pharmacy drops, and there is usually no desire to use chemical products once again, so many people prefer to use proven methods known for centuries. It is best to use medicinal herbs in the form of infusions, decoctions with which lotions are made. Such compounds stop inflammatory processes, relieve soreness, burning sensation.
The most effective option involves the use of chamomile, mixed with the root of the marshmallow, pupil. The components are mixed in equal proportions, take four tablespoons of half a liter of boiling water and let it brew. When the water has cooled, it will become warm, the infusion is filtered, cotton swabs are moistened in it and applied to the eyes. The duration of the procedure is about half an hour, the optimal frequency is twice daily.
What else to try?
Knowing the symptoms of dry eye syndrome, treatment with folk remedies can be approached especially responsibly, using the most effective products and herbs. These include green tea - the easiest sold in any store. True, the usual packages, convenient for brewing, are ineffective in treatment, since the raw materials are poor in useful compounds. It is best to use dried green tea greens. For 20 g of the product, take half a cup of boiling water, let it brew, then moisten cotton swabs in a liquid and apply on the eyelids for a quarter of an hour. You can repeat the procedure as often as unpleasant syndromes appear.
A succession is no less effective in case of a problem with the mucous membrane of the eye. The grass is brewed, like any other, similar to the method described above. The series is known for a calming effect, relieves irritation, eliminates bacterial, microbial infection, and stops inflammatory processes. Such treatment of symptoms of dry eye syndrome with alternative methods can be practiced twice daily. It is convenient enough to make lotions with a series of morning and evening, shortly after waking up and shortly before sleep.
Homemade eye drops
For home hydration, you can use honey drops daily. 2.5 ml more boiled water is added per 10 ml of melted honey, mixed thoroughly, allowed to cool. You can use this medicine once a day, for each eye there are two drops. For a brighter effect, you can optionally include a few drops of Kalanchoe juice in the composition. Drops fit almost everyone. Exception - persons suffering from allergic reactions to these components.
Another home remedy for treating the eyes is drops with glycerin. A strictly refined product is used. Immediately before use, the mass is heated slightly to make the temperature comfortable, and instilled into the eyes, and after the procedure, the skin of the eyelids is massaged. It is necessary to act gently, accurately, with eyes closed. Glycerin is evenly distributed on the surface of the organs of vision. The duration of the course is at least a couple of weeks. Before using glycerin, make-up should be completely removed.
Eye compresses
To activate blood flow and stimulate the production of tear fluid, horseradish root can be used. The product is ground on a grater, mixed with finely chopped onion, put on cheesecloth and applied to closed eyes for a couple of minutes. Perhaps, such a compress will have a rather profuse tearing, but there is nothing to be afraid - the liquid will positively affect the cornea. But the discomfort, discomfort is an occasion to urgently stop the procedure and thoroughly rinse your eyes. In no case can not be tolerated - the compress will do harm.
Another option involves the use of raw potatoes. The root crop is rubbed on a fine grater, moistened with cheesecloth obtained by squeezing the mass, and put on eyes for five minutes. After the procedure, it is necessary to thoroughly rinse the organs of vision with warm water. Natural remedies help get rid of discomfort, stop burning, stop inflammation. To increase efficiency, dill juice can be added to potatoes.
Eye Health Oils
Immediately before use, heat the oil to a comfortable temperature. This makes the procedure more effective, since the active components are released faster. Sea buckthorn oil has proven particularly good. It is intended for regular use.Sea buckthorn oil helps get rid of discomfort in the eyes. An alternative is mustard oil, which activates lacrimation, if you lubricate it with eyelids.
Some healers recommend using camphor oil for dry eye syndrome. Camphor is put in a spoon, heated over a fire, until there is only a small amount of powder used for rubbing in a mixture with olive oil. Olive oil, like any other vegetable oil, must be included in the menu - this helps prevent dry eyes.