The summer heat has officially hit across the country. While summer presents many opportunities to indulge in outdoor activities, it can also cause flare-ups in existing eye conditions or cause new eye problems. During the summer, one of the most common eye conditions is dry eye syndrome. According to the National Eye Institute, nearly 16 million Americans suffer from dry eye, with symptoms worsening in the summer months.
What Is Dry Eye Syndrome?
Dry eye is a condition where your eyes cannot produce enough tears or lubrication, causing symptoms including grittiness, sore eyes, eye fatigue, burning sensation, watery eyes, blurry vision and light sensitivity. These symptoms may be significantly worse especially during the least humid months of the year, July and August.
Heat is not the only factor that can contribute to dry eye; allergies, dry climate, direct sunlight, swimming pools and spas, dust and smoke, and dehydration can also cause an individual to have symptoms of dry eye syndrome. It is essential to know ways to prevent or treat dry eye syndrome, as well as schedule routine visits with your doctor to evaluate and accurately diagnose your concern.
How to Prevent Dry Eyes
In the dry months of July and August, you can turn to home remedies to prevent or treat the irritating symptoms of dry eye, especially when taking part in your favorite summer activities.
First, just as you would protect your skin from the summer UV rays, you must also protect your eyes. Wearing sunglasses, whether sunny or cloudy outside, can help protect your eyes from the harmful rays that dry them out. You also should wear well-fitting goggles when swimming in a chemically altered pool or spa. These chemicals can damage or tear your tear film. The tear film is the most anterior element of the eye; it helps maintain high-quality vision, but alterations in stability, such as excessive tear evaporation, production, or drainage, can cause vision abnormalities.
Hydrating and altering your diet to increase your fish intake, flaxseed, and soybean oil can aid tear stability. Ensure you drink enough water, especially when transitioning from outside to an air-conditioned area. You should also reduce the number of dehydrating drinks, such as coffee and alcoholic beverages.
When reading off a computer, tablet or phone, take breaks, especially when using the device for a long period of time. You can close your eyes for a few seconds or blink to help moisturize your eyes and minimize the evaporation of your tears. It is also beneficial to position your computer screen below eye level to avoid completely opening your eyes and minimize the evaporation of your tears. When your computer is placed above or at eye level, you must open your eyes wider to view the screen.
Finally, over the counter eyedrops or artificial tears can help moisturize your eyes temporarily, relieving some of the pain. If your dry eye persists, symptoms are becoming worse, or you notice vision changes, reach out to your doctor, who can evaluate your eyes and supply treatment options.
How To Treat Dry Eyes
Although there are measures you can take to prevent or minimize the symptoms of dry eye, only experts can determine the severity and prescribe treatment. The severity of your dry eye may dictate the treatment your doctor will recommend.
One of the most soothing treatments for irritation, inflammation, or fatigue is a warm compress. Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) occurs when the tiny glands on your eyelids become clogged with natural oils from your eyes. The oils from these glands help prevent our natural tears from evaporating too quickly. Utilizing a warm compress such as a Bruder mask for 5 minutes a day could help release these oils which will stabilize the tear film.
There are also other remedies to treat dry eye, such as prescription eye drops and serum tears. Due to the medicine in prescription eye drops, they work better for allergy-associated dryness, but serum tears made in a lab are created out of your own blood. Serum tears may have better healing and pain-relief effects than artificial tears.
Finally, your doctor can place punctual plugs in your tear duct openings to stop your ducts from draining tears and overall keep your eyes more moisturized. Punctual plugs can best reduce dry eye symptoms after inflammation has been treated.
Knowing the causes of and preventative efforts for dry eye syndrome will allow you to still enjoy the summer heat without discomfort in the eyes.
Matthew Hildebrand, O.D.
Matthew Hildebrand, O.D. is with the Kleiman Evangelista Eye Centers of Texas.
