What's wrong with my dry and itchy eyes?

When the air is dry, our eyes may also become dry and itchy. Especially for some white-collar workers who work on computers all day and have to stare at the computer every day, they are more likely to experience dry eyes. Generally, if your eyes feel dry and tired, you may be suffering from dry eye syndrome. However, many people do not understand dry eye syndrome, so when their eyes show abnormalities, they still do not know how to protect their eyes.

What is dry eyes?

Dry eye syndrome is a general term for a variety of diseases caused by abnormal tear quality or dynamics due to any reason, which leads to decreased tear film stability and is accompanied by eye discomfort or ocular surface tissue lesions. Also known as keratoconjunctivitis sicca.

What are the common causes of dry eyes?

(1) Caused by eye diseases or autoimmune diseases: such as Sjögren's syndrome, incomplete eyelid closure, meibomian gland dysfunction, autonomic nervous system disorders, long-term medication, etc., which can cause insufficient tear secretion and lead to dry eyes.

(2) Surgery, trauma, etc. cause changes in the structure of ocular surface cells, leading to dry eye.

(3) External factors: including improper use of eyes or improper rest, insufficient vitamin intake, air pollution, etc. Especially when looking at electronic screens for a long time, the number of blinks will decrease and the evaporation of tears will increase, which can easily lead to dry eyes.

What are the symptoms of dry eyes?

Common symptoms of dry eye syndrome include dry eyes, easy fatigue, itchy eyes, foreign body sensation, eye pain accompanied by burning sensation, thick secretions, fear of wind, fear of light, and sensitivity to external stimuli; sometimes the eyes are too dry and the basic tear production is insufficient, which stimulates reflex tear secretion and causes frequent tearing; in more serious cases, the eyes will become red, swollen, congested, keratinized, and the corneal epithelium will be damaged. This damage can cause corneal and conjunctival lesions over time and affect vision.

How to prevent dry eyes?

1. Say no to bad eye habits

Modern people are under great pressure in life and work. Using the eyes for a long time will inevitably cause dryness and discomfort in the eyes. Therefore, we must develop good eye habits in life: do not stay up late and ensure adequate sleep; if you continue to use your eyes for nearly 1 hour, you need to look into the distance for about 10 minutes; do not play with your mobile phone while lying down, etc. At the same time, you can also choose to change some habits to relieve eye fatigue, such as enlarging the font on the computer, lowering the brightness of the computer screen, not facing the air outlet of the air conditioner, consciously increasing the number of blinks, etc., the effect is also significant.

2. Blink more often

Blinking is essential to protecting your eyes. It is a good relaxation for the lens and iris muscles, and it also allows the eyes to be lubricated. When using your eyes for long periods of time, such as operating a computer, reading, driving, etc., it is best to blink at least 5 times per minute.

3. Pay attention to eye hygiene

If eye hygiene is not maintained properly, no matter how many eye drops you use, it will be in vain and may even cause infection. When your eyes are itchy, do not rub them with your hands. You can close your eyes for a few minutes to relieve the pain.

4. Wear contact lenses less often

Strong winds can take away moisture from the eyes, and high indoor temperatures can exacerbate dryness, so in such climates, "dry eye" symptoms can be more prominent. Contact lenses, cosmetic contact lenses and other products will draw moisture from the surface of the eyeball for moisturizing, and should not be worn for long periods of time, otherwise it will aggravate dry eyes and eye soreness.

5. Supplement nutrition for eyes

Staring at a computer screen for a long time will consume a lot of vitamin A. The most common food rich in vitamin A is animal offal, but it contains high cholesterol and is not suitable for consumption in large quantities. It is recommended to eat foods rich in beta-carotene, such as green and yellow vegetables such as carrots, spinach, yellow fruits, eggs, dairy products, etc. In addition, proper supplementation of nutrients such as B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, etc. is also beneficial to eye protection.