What causes dry eyes and what to do

The natural flow of tears provides moisture and comfort to your eyes and your tears are actually a combination of water – for moisture, oils – for lubrication, mucus – for even spreading, and antibodies and proteins for resistance to infection. Tears are secreted by glands around the eye and when there is an imbalance in the tear system you may experience dry eyes.

If you find your tears aren’t lubricating your eye properly you may experience –

• Pain
• A gritty sensation
• Itching
• Redness
• Feeling like you have something in your eye
• Blurry vision

Occasionally someone with dry eyes may find they have tears running down their cheeks, this is due to your eyes not getting enough lubrication and your eyes get flooded by tears to compensate, unfortunately these tears are mostly water and while they will wash debris away they don’t lubricate your eyes properly.

What causes dry eyes?

They can also be caused by dry air – from heating or air conditioning or other environmental conditions.

How to treat dry eyes

You can’t actually cure dry eyes but you can take steps to help relieve discomfort. Lenses Online sell a range of dry eye solutions that can help. The most popular treatment for dry eyes is by using a dry eye solution – you can buy *artificial tears* over the counter at chemists or for convenience from Lenses Online. No one drop works for everyone, so you may need to try a few brands until you find the one that’s right for you.

Lenses Online sell a range of dry eye solutions from the top brands including - Blink, Systane, Bausch and Lomb, Bion Tears and AMO, these are all suitable for anyone who wears contact lenses. If you have chronic dry eyes you will need to use a dry eye solution throughout the day – even if your eyes feel fine – as you need to ensure you keep them lubricated. Lenses Online suggest if your eyes dry out even when you are asleep, consider using a thicker lubricant – such as an ointment at night.