When people say “protect yourself from ultraviolet (UV) radiation” they usually mean your skin. We buy sunblock to prevent sunburn and skin cancer and most of the times we forget that UV radiation can also damage our eyes. UVA rays, in particular, can pass through the cornea reaching the lens and retina inside your eyes. When your eyes suffer sunburn it is called photokeratitis or ultraviolet keratitis and it can lead to vision loss for a couple of days. It is not … [Read more...]
Smartphones now account for 50% of all mobile phones in the U.S., and 66% of all mobile phones sold last year were smartphones[1]. Only last year, there were 234 million phone users (aged 13+) and over 10 million iPad/Tablet users. Now, consider that these users are staring at their devices for longer periods of time, blinking less frequently, and are reading at a closer focusing distance due to the small font and it won’t surprise you that many are experiencing an … [Read more...]
Do you like sipping on a hot cup of joe to get the morning started? Good news for all you coffee drinkers! Researchers at the University of Tokyo’s School of Medicine have published a study that they say provides evidence that caffeine intake can significantly increase tear production. This study comes after the team read an earlier study indicating that caffeine users showed a reduced risk for dry eye. Caffeine has been known to increase other secretions; such as … [Read more...]
It is no secret that Dry Eye Disease occurrences increase in females approaching menopause; it is also higher for females who are pregnant. Studies have shown that about 7.8% of women over 50 develop significantly dry eyes, compared to only 4.7% of males in the same age group[1]. It is believed that the reason can be attributed to changes in hormone levels, especially the male hormone Androgen. Hormones are naturally occurring chemicals that act as regulatory agents … [Read more...]
Dry eye symptoms are not fun. Imagine not being able to drive, work on a computer for long or even watch TV with the family because your eyes give out after a couple of minutes – that’s what chronic dry eye sufferers experience. Dealing with discomfort, burning, scratching, and general dryness can greatly decrease your quality of life. In the past, it has been documented that patients who have high levels of anxiety and depression are at a higher risk of … [Read more...]
The weather is warming up and the plans and flowers are blossoming. When we think of spring and eyes we immediately associate it with allergies and dry eye symptoms. We talked about allergies and dry eyes in depth on a previous post. There are people whose allergy symptoms are caused by dry eye and not vice versa, you need to find out what is really causing your symptoms so you can start treating them. Dry Eyes and Seasonal Allergies Remember winter? Being indoors … [Read more...]
Blinking is a crucial part of keeping the right amount of moisture in the eye surface, especially during cold, dry weather. It coats the eye with a fresh layer of tears while also cleaning the surface and moisturizing it. It is an almost subconscious action that means a lot to a dry eye patient. Whether you work at a computer for +8hrs, watch a movie, or live in a dry environment, a slow blinking rate will increase your dry eye symptoms. Under normal circumstances, … [Read more...]
Has it happened to you? It is night time, your eyes are feeling fine, you go to bed, wake up the next morning and your eyelids are stuck to your eyeballs! Many dry eye patients experience these symptoms along with a mucous discharge caused by the exacerbation or dry eye symptoms overnight. What are the causes? While symptoms can vary for each patient, there are a couple of commonalities that can cause dry eye symptoms to worsen overnight. MGD (Meibomian Gland … [Read more...]
For many dry eye patients, Restasis is the difference between a “good” dry eye day and a “shut the blinds, leave me alone” dry eye day. Unfortunately, it does not seem to help all dry eye patients equally. Restasis belongs to a class of medicines known as immunosuppressants. It increases tear production in people who have an eye condition preventing them from producing tears themselves. Thus, it is continually used to treat not only Dry Eye Disease but also … [Read more...]
Dry Eye pain is made worse by allergies. Dry Eye sufferers who are also allergic to house dust, mold, mildew, cat dander, smoke and much more are all familiar with the pain and discomfort that allergy season brings. Allergic responses vary widely from one individual to another and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. For this reason, it is important that you and your doctor discuss what options can help you alleviate your allergy + dry eye pain. Allergies and Dry … [Read more...]