Keeping your body hydrated is essential for optimal health and wellness. Not only does proper hydration regulate body temperature, lubricate the joints and prevent infection, but also it keeps the eyes moist and comfortable. Without adequate moisture, your eyes can become dry and uncomfortable.
Understanding how to keep your eyes properly hydrated is the first step in preventing symptoms of dry eye. Below are some tips for nourishing your eyes and avoiding these symptoms:
- Burning, stinging, irritation
- Blurred vision
- Scratchy feeling in the eyes
- Increase in mucus
- Trouble wearing contact lenses
Use Artificial Tears
Tears constantly bathe your eyes in moisture, wash away debris and prevent bacteria from causing infections. If you’re not producing enough tears, you can try artificial tear drops to restore moisture.
Artificial tears are a good way to lubricate your eyes without drying your eyes out, but make sure to stay away from red-eye reducers and other types of eye drops. If you’re still unsure, talk to your ophthalmologist about the best eye drops for your needs. Sometimes, prescription strength artificial tears are necessary.
Unblock Your Tear Ducts
Your tear ducts can get stopped up. If this is the case, you can try unblocking them to get your eye’s natural lubrication system working again. An eye care specialist can do this for you using silicone plugs, also called punctal plugs. A lot of times, eye doctors will recommend temporary plugs to see how your body reacts first.
Blink Regularly
If you are focused on something for a long time, such as a computer monitor or smartphone screen, you’re not blinking as often as you normally would. Take a short break to rest your eyes and blink. Blinking flushes fresh tears and nutrients across the surface of your eye and prevents them from getting dry.
Use a Humidifier
Install a humidifier in your home, office or bedroom. Humidifiers add moisture to the air and are best used during the fall and winter when it’s more likely to be dry. Moist air will keep your eyes more comfortable and also treat symptoms like sore throats and dry skin. You might also want to look into an air filtration system to remove impurities from the air.
Drink 8 to 10 Glasses of Water Daily
Lastly, be sure to nourish your body with plenty of water. Eye Specialists recommend 8 to 10 glasses of water each day, but you can use this hydration calculator to determine how much your body needs. Starting this now will help you build healthy habits that will last a lifetime!
If you’re tired of dealing with dry eye syndrome, contact Empire Retina Consultants for all of your ophthalmologist needs.