Flagstaff has a very dry climate; we haven’t had rain or snow since before Christmas. When we turn on our heaters and light the fireplaces, things get even drier. Just like your lips get chapped and your hands dry out, the same thing happens to your eyes. When your eyes get dry, they may get red, they may water too much and your vision may get blurry. You may experience sensitivity to light, contact lens intolerance, decreased vision, burning eyes, a sandy or gritty feeling or a foreign body sensation in your eyes.
Dry eyes are the most common complaint that we hear in our office at this time of the year. Eyes become dry when either there are too few tears or the tears are of poor quality. Many things such as allergies, diet, oral medications, working conditions, long hours or working with a computer and previous eye surgery can make dry eyes worse.
The tear layer on your eyes has three layers, a mucous layer, a water layer and a lipid layer. The mucous layer is closest to the eye and helps the tears stick to the eyeball. The aqueous, or water, layer is in the middle and it hydrates. The outermost layer is composed mostly of lipids. It prevents evaporation of the tears and also lubricates so that the eyelids can slide over the eyeball without rubbing.
Drinking more water helps to hydrate your whole body, including your eyes. Having a humidifier adds more moisture to the air. Avoiding air from heating vents in the winter and fans in the summer prevents evaporation of tears. Taking omega-3 supplements like flaxseed and fish oil helps you produce more and better tears that stabilize the tear film.
Most people need supplemental tears here in Flagstaff. Just like you use lip balm or lotion for your hands or your lips, your eyes are having similar problems. Except, instead of using chapstick or lotion, artificial tears are the necessary remedy.
When choosing over the counter drops for your eyes, look for the words “lubricant” or “tears.” When your eyes are dry, they need lubrication. Avoid eye drops that say “get the red out” or “astringent.” These drops cause vasoconstriction, will dry your eyes out more and create a dependence on them to keep the redness under control.
Using lubricant drops two to four times a day keeps most eyes healthy and comfortable. If you find that you are using drops more frequently, a gel drop may be necessary. Gel drops are thicker, so they do blur vision for longer when they are initially put in (typically only a couple of minutes). Because they have higher viscosity, gel drops last a lot longer than thinner artificial tears. Nighttime ointments are even thicker than gels and are made to use right before you go to sleep to prevent overnight dryness.
When artificial tears and gels are not enough, your eye doctor may insert plugs into the area of your lower lid where the tears drain off your eyes into your nose. This is called punctal occlusion. There are many different kinds of punctal plugs, some are designed to last three or six months and then dissolve and others are meant to stay in indefinitely.
Other options to keeping dry eye syndrome under control are prescription medications such as Restasis. Restasis (cyclosporine) is an eye drop used twice a day that controls dry eyes by decreasing inflammation around the lacrimal gland. This allows the lacrimal gland to make the tears that it should be producing. Restasis usually takes 30-60 days to work.
If you are having trouble with uncomfortable red eyes or you feel that your eyes may be dry, make an appointment with your eye doctor and ask them about your options for relief. FBN
Nick Koshuta, O.D. is owner/optometrist of Flagstaff Eye Care. For more information or an appointment with Dr. Koshuta, please call his office at 928-774-5093.