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Dry eye can be dangerous: 7 ways to treat and prevent it

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Almost five million Americans 50 and older are thought to have dry eye, with the highest incidence among post-menopausal women. Aside from being uncomfortable and annoying, dry-eye syndrome can also permanently harm your vision.

When left untreated, dry eye can cause light sensitivity and blurred vision. Furthermore, under lubricated eyes are more susceptible to scratches or infection.So how do you treat it?

The following home remedies are good first steps:

  1. Use a humidifier
  2. Wear glasses instead of contacts
  3. Take frequent breaks when staring at computer or TV screens
  4. Sleep for at least eight hours each night
  5. Avoid smoke
  6. Wear sunglasses or a hat
  7. Drink at least six glasses of water per day

If you try those but your dry eye persists, consider an over-the-counter eye lubricant drop. These come in the form of gels or ointments and can provide immediate relief.

If you still experience trouble after that, contact your physician. He or she can provide you with prescription-strength eye drops or, if necessary, discuss surgical options with you. This might include an outpatient procedure to provide punctal plugs, which temporarily close the small duct where tears drain from the eye.

Request an appointment to find out more about your options.

Could your headaches be due to eye problems?

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If you’re suffering from frequent headaches, ask yourself, “When was my last eye checkup?” A routine eye exam can turn up a variety of issues that may be causing headaches. In some cases staring at the computer screen too long, or working on overly bright or dim light may be the culprit. Adjusting workplace lighting, or remembering to take a break every hour or so to give your eyes a rest can remedy those problems. There are also some common eye conditions that may result in headaches if untreated. They are:

  • Astigmatism, in which the cornea is not properly shaped, and requires you to squint in order to focus your vision.
  • Hyperopia, or long-sightedness.
  • Presbyopia, a condition in which the lens has become hard and inflexible with age, making it difficult to focus.

However, those headaches could also be triggered by something more serious, such as glaucoma or cataracts. With glaucoma, pressure builds up inside the eye due to its inability to drain fluid properly. That eventually can damage the optic nerve. Open-angle glaucoma, which is a slow buildup of pressure, may not have any symptoms, but angle closure glaucoma, which causes a sharper increase of pressure, can cause pain blurred vision and headaches. Cataracts, a clouding of the eye’s lens, also can bring about headaches as they become more severe. As your vision becomes more limited, the eye works harder. If you’re experiencing frequent headaches, and it’s been more than a year or two between eye exams, it’s a good idea to see your eye care provider. If you already wear glasses, you may just need a new prescription. But if something else is going on, he or she can identify the problem, and take the proper steps to have you seeing clearly and headache-free.