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Tear film care for sharper vision, whiter healthy-looking eyes

Dry eye is caused by a loss of tear quality, read on to find out the many benefits of giving your tears some TLC.


Tear film care for sharper vision, whiter healthy-looking eyes

There is a whole heap of reasons why you need to get your tears in tip-top shape

 

Let us be clear, having dry eye is not fun and the impact of living with dry, sore, gritty irritated eyes can really take a toll on your quality of life. Because dry eye is a chronic and progressive inflammatory disease it will not just ‘go away’ - you need to invest time in managing these annoying symptoms. Here are some of the benefits of taking control of your dry eyes and restoring your natural moisturising defence – the tear-film.

 

Comfortable feeling eyes

When the protective layer of moisture that covers the surface of your eye is compromised it exposes the delicate cornea with all its’ network of nerves leading to dry, tired, itchy, gritty, sore, or watery eyes. Helping restore the natural balance to your eyes will break this cycle of irritation and leave your eyes feeling more comfortable.

 

More stable, sharper vision

Many people are surprised to be told that approximately 70% of their eyes focusing power comes from the front of the eye (the cornea to be precise) and the tear film with the remaining 30% or so coming from the crystalline lens within the eye . If your eyes are dry this important moisture layer will have become diminished negatively impacting our ability to focus clearly. This is the reason why those with dry eye might notice a temporary improvement in their vision after blinking.

 

Whiter looking eyes

One of the more obvious symptoms of dry eye is ocular redness. This gives your eyes a tired and sore appearance to the outside world. When you take steps to improve your natural tears you will notice this redness subside and your eyes appear whiter.

 

Feel more confident

There has been plenty of scientific research that shows suffering from dry eye disease does not just cause physical harm, it is also linked with increased risk of anxiety and depression. When you live with frequent feelings of dry, irritated, watery, sore eyes it is easy to understand that it would affect you emotionally, getting your dry eye under control will certainly help put a spring back in your step.

 

Be more productive

Dry eye symptoms are a distraction from the task in hand and there has long been evidence to point to this chronic condition reducing productivity in the work place. One study found that office workers with dry eye were around 6% less productive when compared to those without dry eye. Doesn’t sound like much? But it is almost two and a half hours a week and over a staggering 100 hours per year – so getting your dry eye under control might even get you a promotion at work!

 

Maintaining eye health

Your tears contain antimicrobial components which fight bacteria and other microorganisms which enter the eye to help to keep your eyes healthy. There has long been discussions among eye care professionals about the role of too much bacteria and dry eye. Your tears help reduce bacterial levels and flush out microorganisms. Many eye care professionals believe there to be a link with dry eye and increased risk of eye infections, but more research is needed.

 

Protecting your eyes for the future

One of the things that always surprises Dry Eye Zone is that so many people do not realise dry eye is a chronic condition which if left unmanaged will just get worse. This progressive disease can lead to permanent damage of the eye’s surface  This is also true of your eyelids’ meibomian glands, which produce your tears oily outer protective layer, once these tiny glands are lost they cannot be restored!

 

What can you do to start improving things?

  • If you are overdue an eye examination make sure to book one as soon as you can.

  • Use a preservative free dry eye drop throughout the day, you do not have to wait for symptoms to become established.

  • Get your natural meibum oils flowing with regular heat treatment.

  • Avoid cleansing products or make up which contain dry eye irritating ingredients. This is harder than you think so we have done the work for you.

  • Help your eyes natural tear production with blink exercises and gently massage.

  • Introduce more anti-inflammatory omega-3 rich foods into your diet, such as salmon, or if that is not to your taste consider taking a regular food supplement such as Dry Omega.

 

You can find out how to improve the quality of your natural tears in order to combat the effects of dry eye disease by visiting Dry Eye Zone – where you will find plenty of useful advice, more about dry eye disease and a curated range of products you will only find available from leading independent opticians. And don’t forget to subscribe to Dry Eye Zone regular free information updates.

 

 

 

If you are experiencing dry eye symptoms then you should ask the advice of your eye care professional. Do not leave things untreated as symptoms may progress. Why not book your next eye examination with an independent optician today.

 

 

Sources:

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Wang Y, Ding Y, Jiang X, Yang J, Li X. Bacteria and Dry Eye: A Narrative Review. J Clin Med. 2022 Jul 12;11(14):4019. doi: 10.3390/jcm11144019. PMID: 35887783; PMCID: PMC9319739.

Narayanan S, Redfern RL, Miller WL, Nichols KK, McDermott AM. Dry eye disease and microbial keratitis: is there a connection? Ocul Surf. 2013 Apr;11(2):75-92. doi: 10.1016/j.jtos.2012.12.002. Epub 2013 Jan 29. PMID: 23583043; PMCID: PMC3637884.

 

Hessen M, Akpek EK. Dry eye: an inflammatory ocular disease. J Ophthalmic Vis Res. 2014 Apr;9(2):240-50. PMID: 25279127; PMCID: PMC4181208.

 

Jones L, Downie LE, Korb D, Benitez-Del-Castillo JM, Dana R, Deng SX, Dong PN, Geerling G, Hida RY, Liu Y, Seo KY, Tauber J, Wakamatsu TH, Xu J, Wolffsohn JS, Craig JP. TFOS DEWS II Management and Therapy Report. Ocul Surf. 2017 Jul;15(3):575-628. doi: 10.1016/j.jtos.2017.05.006. Epub 2017 Jul 20. PMID: 28736343.

 

Takefumi Yamaguchi. Inflammatory Response in Dry Eye. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. November 2018, Vol.59, DES192-DES199. doi:https://doi.org/10.1167/iovs.17-23651

 

Baudouin C, Messmer EM, Aragona P, Geerling G, Akova YA, Benítez-del-Castillo J, Boboridis KG, Merayo-Lloves J, Rolando M, Labetoulle M. Revisiting the vicious circle of dry eye disease: a focus on the pathophysiology of meibomian gland dysfunction. Br J Ophthalmol. 2016 Mar;100(3):300-6. doi: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2015-307415. Epub 2016 Jan 18. PMID: 26781133; PMCID: PMC4789719.

 

Molina-Leyva I, Molina-Leyva A, Riquelme-Gallego B, Cano-Ibáñez N, García-Molina L, Bueno-Cavanillas A. Effectiveness of Mediterranean Diet Implementation in Dry Eye Parameters: A Study of PREDIMED-PLUS Trial. Nutrients. 2020 May 1;12(5):1289. doi: 10.3390/nu12051289. PMID: 32369989; PMCID: PMC7282256

 

Jo YJ, Lee JS. Effects of dietary high dose DHA omega-3 supplement in dry eye with meibomian gland dysfunction. Int J Ophthalmol. 2021 Nov 18;14(11):1700-1706. doi: 10.18240/ijo.2021.11.08. PMID: 34804859; PMCID: PMC8569578.

 

Basilious A, Xu CY, Malvankar-Mehta MS. Dry eye disease and psychiatric disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Ophthalmol. 2022 Jul;32(4):1872-1889. doi: 10.1177/11206721211060963. Epub 2021 Dec 22. PMID: 34935549; PMCID: PMC9297048. https:/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9297048/

 

Yamada M, Mizuno Y, Shigeyasu C. Impact of dry eye on work productivity. Clinicoecon Outcomes Res. 2012;4:307-12. doi: 10.2147/CEOR.S36352. Epub 2012 Oct 10. PMID: 23091391; PMCID: PMC3471464.

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