I distinctly remember walking through the halls as a freshman with a severe case of dry eyes and one unhappy contact lens threatening to break free. My ferocious blinking was misinterpreted as flirty winking by a group of boys I passed and from that day on, they never missed an opportunity to remind me.
Fortunately, the trauma of high school is behind me. However the dry, gritty and burning feeling in my eyes is not. And for many people who deal with chronically dry eyes, it can be uncomfortable and disruptive to daily life.
Dr. Mark J. Mannis, president of the California Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, explained to HuffPost what’s actually happening when we have dry eyes and if we’re inadvertently using products that make it worse.
He said that the protective film that coats the surface of the eye is made up of three layers, the two most important being the water layer and a fatty lipid layer that keeps the water layer from evaporating.
“If the glands of the eye make too little of either of these substances, a [person] experiences dry eye. This can be influenced by taking certain medications or failure of the eyelids to close properly,” Mannis said.
Dr. Natasha Herz, a clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, told HuffPost that it’s not just medications that cause dry eyes. It can also be related to a number of environmental factors which cause the natural tears produced by our bodies to evaporate quicker.
″Smoke and highly polluted environments may lead to dry eye, [as well as the] low humidity of windy weather,” she said.
And if find yourself staring at screens for a large portion of the day, Dr. Chantal Cousineau-Krieger of The National Eye Institute suggested that this is one of the worst things you can do to your eyes.
“When we look at those screens, we tend to blink much less than usual, so our eyes do not produce as many tears, leading to dryness. It’s always a good idea to follow the 20-20-20 rule.” she said. “Every 20 minutes, look at something at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.”
Doing this, she says, will force your eyes to naturally blink more, generating natural tear production, while also reducing the strain associated with staring at screens.
Cousineau-Krieger added that eye drops that claim to reduce redness might actually be causing more redness down the line, namely because of the preservatives they contain. And if you are using blue-light blocking glasses hoping they’ll help with your dry eyes, she said, you might be wasting your time.
Although dry eye is treatable in most situations, according to Cousineau-Krieger, long term effects can potentially cause higher susceptibility to eye infections and inflammation in severe cases. She encourages speaking with a medical professional to explore prescription options if your symptoms still persist after you’ve tried over-the-counter solutions.
Keep reading to see some products our eye experts recommend that might help temporarily replace a loss of tears, add much-needed moisture and keep eyes hydrated and comfortable while you sleep.
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Once microwaved for about 20 seconds, this washable and anti-bacterial eye mask can help relax strained and dry eyes with the help of heat-holding beads.
The Milan produces cool mist while also providing EPA-approved air sterilization technology that destroys harmful germs and bacteria in the air, as well as in the water it's atomizing. The large-capacity tank means longer run times, and three different mist modes give customized levels of air moisture.
This 21-ounce vacuum-insulated water bottle is made from odor-resistant and shatter-proof stainless steel. The HidrateSpark Pro's most impressive feature, though, is its Bluetooth capability, which allows you to track your water intake, set daily goals or even challenge friends through an app. The LED sensor at the bottom also starts to glow when it's time to take a drink, and it contains a location tracker so you never lose your bottle.
The Blueair Blue Pure 211+ is a reasonably priced purifier that’s suitable for spaces of up to 540 square feet. It uses an activated carbon filter to effectively grab particles, particularly dust, smoke and allergens that can potentially cause eye irritation. It also contains a second machine-washable filter specifically for capturing larger particles in air and has an indicator that lets you know when it's time to change the filter.
While supplements might not be an option for everyone, these fish oil soft gel capsules are made from strict and carefully selected ingredients that have been purified to remove potential traces of mercury or other contaminants.
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