As practice shows, in recent years, dry eye syndrome has become more common. Almost half of the ophthalmologist's patients, dealing with various complaints, receive such a diagnosis. The disease is caused by a decrease in the quality of the fluid produced by the lacrimal glands, as well as a lack of volume of the produced substance.
How to suspect?
Dry eye symptoms are easy to spot - many describe a feeling of "sand in the eyes". For most, tearing is activated, after which a feeling of dryness comes. The progress of the disease is accompanied by pain, burning. Over time, a person is faced with a fear of light, weakening of vision in the evening. Eyes quickly redden, constantly worried about the feeling of discomfort. Quite strongly, such changes affect performance - a person cannot spend a long time in front of the monitor, and over time, even watching TV causes strong discomfort.
Symptoms of dry eye syndrome are activated if the patient is in a room with theair conditioner. The situation is aggravated by thermal fans, heat guns, smoky space, and wind. The lacrimal glands produce a viscous secretion that is drawn from the eyes in thin threads. This condition is extremely uncomfortable for the patient, which forces him to seek qualified help. Doctors pay attention: it is not worth pulling, it is the professional who will be able to choose the best way to eliminate the syndrome.
Anatomy and medicine
To understand the essence of the cause of dry eye syndrome, you should understand the device of the human visual organs. To moisturize the cornea, special components are normally produced - complex liquids. The source of the substance is the glands of Krause, meibomian, Zeiss, Wolfring and some others. An important role is played by the small, large lacrimal glands. Each organ produces a unique composition that differs from the others, and the secretion production mechanism is initiated by different factors. For example, emotional experiences activate the main gland responsible for the release of tear fluid. It also works if a person feels pain or the cornea is injured. Such separation of tears is reflex. If you do not cry during the day, the main gland creates about two milliliters of secretion. But in the presence of an activating factor of the substance, up to 30 ml can be released.
The conjunctival cavity is another element of the visual system that is important in relation to the production of various secrets. This cavity separates the eyeball from the eyelid, shaped like a gap. Finehere accumulates 7 ml of lacrimal secretion. The substance is distributed as a thin film over the ocular surface in front. Coating thickness - no more than 12 micrometers, which are divided into three layers. The first layer is mucous, distributed over the epithelium and designed to store moisture. This is followed by watery, including organic compounds, s alt solutions. The final one is lipid, preventing liquid evaporation, controlling heat exchange between the cornea and epithelium. The film as a whole is responsible for protecting the eye, and for metabolism, and for the ability to see. Violation of its composition leads to the appearance of dry eye syndrome.
How does it work?
The lipid shell is responsible for protection against small particles suspended in the air, prevents evaporation. The watery layer washes the ocular surface, removing harmful particles, normalizes the level of acidity, destroys pathological microorganisms - viruses, bacteria. Mucus is able to envelop foreign objects, which reduces the risk of eye injury. At the same time, this entire system is responsible for metabolism, transporting the necessary components to the cornea, moisturizing the layers of the visual organ, removing dead elements. Such processes are provided with electrolytes, organic components, which are rich in the aqueous layer.
The eye film provides wetting of the eyelid with every movement of the visual organ. As soon as its stability is disturbed, a person begins to worry about dry eye syndrome. Sometimes the reason is a decrease in the amount of secretions from the glands, in some cases it is the external factors that destroy the film. It mayprovoke dustiness of the atmosphere, pollution with exhaust gases, increased dryness, tobacco smoke. Sometimes the reason is active evaporation, leading to thinning of the film.
Causes of pathology
Provoke dry eye syndrome can be different factors. Often the problem is organic - the lacrimal glands are defective, the cornea does not receive sufficient nutrition, the patient underwent surgery on the organs of vision. Paralysis of the nerves of the face can provoke such a disease. It is known that the problem accompanies the use of various medications. There is a risk of the syndrome if a person uses oral contraceptives, medicines to correct pressure, eliminate headaches. Dry eye syndrome can develop while taking antidepressants.
Provoke negative changes can: low-quality cosmetics, tension, prolonged work at the computer, long-term TV viewing. Sometimes it's about age-related changes - menopause, old age. Understanding the symptoms and treatment of dry eye syndrome is often necessary for people who have received an eye injury, as well as people forced to live in a polluted environment. An unbalanced diet can play a role.
Degrees and differences
The factors described above can cause a violation of the integrity of the tear foam. Sometimes there are a lot of gaps, so the surface cannot restore integrity, dry patches begin to appear. It is customary to talk about a mild form of the disease, moderate, severe. There is also a very severe dry eye syndrome. The symptoms and treatment of these forms are similar in essence, but differ in the degree of complexity and disturbing sensations.
At a young age, the disease often appears in a mild form, and it is provoked by the use of lenses or prolonged work at the computer. Operations, injuries are also quite common causes of the problem. In some cases, with questions about how to treat dry eye syndrome, people who eat foods that are too low in fat come to the doctor. As statistics show, in recent years, young people are much more likely to worry about this disease than older people.
According to reviews, dry eye syndrome often appears in people aged 50 years and older. The reason lies in age-related changes. Fatty structures are produced by the cells of the body much weaker (by about 60%) than at a young age, so the visual organs lack the components of the protective shell. The reason may be in glaucoma, provoked by the prolonged use of some drops. It is known that the pathology of Stephen-Johnson, Sjogren can provoke the disease.
How to identify the problem?
If the causes of the disease are "dry eye syndrome", the symptoms are observed quite clearly, cause concern, then it's time to go to the doctor. First, the doctor interviews the patient, compiles a list of all complaints, examines the cornea of the eye with a strong increase. Additionally, it is necessary to examine the conjunctiva, the edges of the eyelids in order todetermining whether there are modified areas. For this, specialized medical drops are used. The doctor checks how quickly tear secretions are formed, how quickly the liquids evaporate. Using a special technique, the doctor evaluates the quality of the tear film in the eye.
Quite often, with the problem described, there are no tear menisci. In medicine, this term refers to small thickenings of the film, which normally run along the edge of the eyelid from the bottom behind. Instead, during examination, the doctor observes the conjunctiva, and the tissue is dimmer than he althy areas. Most likely, the doctor will prescribe eye drops for dry eye syndrome, if the conjunctiva is swollen, the tear film contains foreign objects - epithelial threads, air bubbles, mucous clots.
What to do?
The first measure taken to correct the problem is to keep the mucous membrane moist. For this, eye drops designed for patients with dry eye syndrome are used. On sale they are presented as artificial tears. Such substances on the ocular surface quickly form a film that persists for a long time. The frequency of use of drops is daily 3-8 times a day. Specific indicators depend on how severe the disease is.
In a particularly severe case, a doctor may recommend surgery. This option is practiced quite rarely, it is necessary if the lacrimal fluid is produced in too small a volume, which is accompanied by degradation of the corneal tissues. To minimize the loss of producedsecretion glands, use a small silicone plug, which closes the hole in the fluid channel. Usually, after surgery, doctors instruct which drops for dry eye syndrome the patient should use during the rehabilitation period.
How to warn?
In order not to have to treat the disease, it makes sense to conduct regular prevention, fortunately, this does not require significant effort. The prevention of the syndrome is especially relevant for those who spend more than four hours daily in front of a computer monitor. You should drink plenty of fluids, regularly take ten-minute breaks. It will not be superfluous to control how far the monitor is from the eyes - it should be comparable to the length of a straightened arm. The center point should be located 10 cm below the line connecting the point and the center of rotation of the eyeball. If possible, it is necessary to control how frequent blinking is - the higher the concentration of attention, the slower this process, which is dangerous for the mucous membrane, leads to active evaporation of the liquid.
In the warm season, you should use hats with fields, a visor, and also have glasses with you to protect yourself from the sun. Direct sunlight provokes very rapid evaporation of the liquid. If you need to live in a hot climate, you should get into the habit of constantly rinsing your eyes with water. But do not forget about the dangers of frost for the organs of vision. To prevent dry eye, you need to blink frequently, thereby constantly updating the protective shell.
What to look out for?
Folk treatment of dry eye syndromesuggests normalization of the diet. It is necessary to choose a diet in such a way that neither excess of fats nor their deficiency is received with food. Both extreme conditions have a negative impact on human he alth.
Because aggressive external factors negatively affect the he alth of the eye, it is necessary to stay in dangerous conditions as little as possible. If the lifestyle, the conditions are such that it is not possible to avoid negative influence, it is necessary to make it a habit to constantly use drops to protect the eyes. It is equally important to take a responsible approach to the choice of cosmetics, using only high-quality products. Before evening rest, make-up should be removed using products designed for this purpose, designed specifically for the eyes. Substances containing alcohol should be avoided, as the substance dries the skin and eyes.
Keep your eyes in good shape
Folk remedies for dry eye syndrome involve regular exercises for the organs of vision. The lessons are pretty simple. First you need to take a comfortable sitting position, relax and close your eyes, then start rotating clockwise and in the opposite direction - 10 circles each. The next step is moving up, down, to the sides. Then 10 times in a row they squeeze the eyelids tightly, blinking, blinking quickly, easily a hundred times. The next step is to move to the window, select a point on the glass and focus on it, and then move it into the distance, maintaining the level of vision. After a while, they return to the first point again and repeat the cycle about ten times.
Herbs to help people
Treatment of dry eye syndrome with folk remedies is a topic of interest to many. Not everyone has the time, desire and financial ability to buy pharmacy drops, and there is usually no desire to use chemical products once again, so many people prefer to resort to proven methods known for centuries. It is best to use medicinal herbs in the form of infusions, decoctions, with which lotions are made. Such compounds stop inflammatory processes, relieve pain, burning.
The most effective option involves the use of chamomile mixed with marshmallow root, eyebright. The components are mixed in equal proportions, take half a liter of boiling water for four tablespoons and let it brew. When the water cools down, becomes warm, the infusion is filtered, cotton swabs are moistened in it and applied to the eyes. The duration of the procedure is about half an hour, the optimal frequency is twice daily.
What else to try?
Knowing the symptoms of dry eye syndrome, treatment with folk remedies can be approached especially responsibly, using the most effective products and herbs. These include green tea - the simplest, sold in any store. True, the usual packages, convenient for brewing, are ineffective in treatment, since raw materials are poor in useful compounds. It is best to use dried green tea greens. For 20 g of the product, take half a cup of boiling water, let it brew, and then moisten cotton swabs inliquid and put on the eyelids for a quarter of an hour. You can repeat the procedure as often as unpleasant syndromes appear.
No less effective for problems with the mucous membrane of the eye. The grass is brewed, like any other, similar to the method described above. The series is known for its calming effect, relieves irritation, eliminates bacterial, microbial infection, and stops inflammatory processes. Such treatment of symptoms of dry eye syndrome with folk methods can be practiced twice daily. It is convenient enough to make lotions with a series of morning and evening, shortly after waking up and shortly before bedtime.
Homemade eye drops
For home moisturizing, you can use honey drops daily. 2.5 times more boiled water is added to 10 ml of melted honey, mixed thoroughly, allowed to cool. You can use this medicine once a day, two drops for each eye. For a more pronounced effect, you can additionally include a few drops of Kalanchoe juice in the composition. Drops are suitable for almost everyone. The exception is persons suffering from allergic reactions to these components.
Another home remedy for eye treatment is glycerin drops. A strictly purified product is used. Immediately before use, the mass is slightly heated to make the temperature comfortable, and instilled into the eyes, and after the procedure, the skin of the eyelids is massaged. It is necessary to act gently, carefully, with your eyes closed. Glycerin will be evenly distributed over the surface of the organs of vision. The duration of the course is at least a couple of weeks. Before useglycerine should completely remove makeup.
Eye compresses
To activate blood flow and stimulate the production of tear fluid, you can apply horseradish root. The product is ground on a grater, mixed with finely chopped onion, put on gauze and applied to closed eyes for a couple of minutes. Perhaps from such a compress there will be quite abundant tearing, but there is nothing to be afraid of - the liquid will have a positive effect on the cornea. But discomfort, discomfort - a reason to urgently stop the procedure and rinse your eyes thoroughly. In no case should you endure - the compress will do harm.
Another option involves using raw potatoes. The root crop is rubbed on a fine grater, moistened with gauze obtained by squeezing the mass and applied to the eyes for five minutes. After the procedure, it is necessary to thoroughly rinse the organs of vision with warm water. Natural remedies help to get rid of discomfort, stop burning, stop inflammation. To increase efficiency, dill juice can be added to potatoes.
Oils for eye he alth
Immediately before use, the oil is heated to a comfortable temperature. This makes the procedure more efficient as the active ingredients are released faster. Sea buckthorn oil has proven itself especially well. It is intended for regular use. Sea buckthorn oil helps to get rid of discomfort in the eyes. An alternative option is mustard oil, which activates tearing, if you lubricate the eyelids with it.
Some healers recommend using camphor oil for dry eye syndrome. Camphor is placed in a spoon, heated over a fire until only a small amount of powder remains, used for rubbing, mixed with olive oil. Olive oil, like any other vegetable, must be included in the menu - it helps prevent dry eyes.
