Dry Eye Treatment
Dry eye is one of the eye problems frequently encountered in society. The amount and quality of tears are important for healthy eyes. The main function of tears is to nourish the cornea and moisturize the eye surface. By fulfilling this function, the optical quality of the corneal surface becomes perfect.
Dry eye occurs when the quality and quantity of tears are not sufficient. When tears are not sufficient, the surface of the eye is not moistened sufficiently, and a deficiency in the biochemical components of the tears causes inadequate nutrition of the cornea, apart from adequate moisturization. Deficiency of one of the 3 basic components of tears (mucus, water and oil) causes rapid evaporation of tears.
Dry eye symptoms along with uncomfortable conditions such as itching, stinging and burning sensation in the eyes. It can manifest itself with symptoms such as blurred vision.
As a result of dryness, the eyes become susceptible to infections and the eye surface becomes susceptible to irritation. Therefore, it is important for people who suspect dryness to consult an ophthalmologist without delay. Permanent vision loss may occur if treatment is left untreated or if it is delayed.
Early diagnosis, as in many eye diseases, positively affects the success of treatment. It can generally be seen in all age groups and is more common in the 40-60 age group. It is also more common in women than men.
SUBJECT TITLES
What is Dry Eye?
Dry eye is the problem of the front surface of the eye not being moistened sufficiently and this layer being drier than necessary due to the decrease in tears or deterioration of their quality due to various reasons.
Tears are secreted by the lacrimal glands located around the eyes. Tears consist of 3 basic layers. These are the mucus layer, the aqueous layer and the outermost oily layer.
The eye stays moist thanks to tears. In addition, thanks to the moisture of the eye surface, the eye is protected from external factors such as dust and wind, as well as from microbes. With the dryness problem, the eye becomes more open to external factors. In addition, there is a possibility that scar tissue may form on the outer layer of the cornea.
In people diagnosed with dry eye, there is no tear secretion at a level that will provide relief to the eye, or the tear quality is not sufficient due to the deficiency in the main components. It is not present and the evaporation rate is high.
It is divided into two subtypes: aqueous insufficiency and hyperevaporation. Aqueous insufficiency refers to insufficiency in tear production. Hyperevaporation refers to excessive evaporation of tears.
Dry eye can be temporary or chronic. If the problem persists for a long time, it means it is chronic. Chronicity usually occurs due to insufficient tear production or too rapid evaporation problems. Temporary dryness usually develops due to environmental factors and ends with the change of these factors.
What are the Causes of Dry Eye?
The two main causes of dry eyes are insufficient production and rapid evaporation of tears, and there are various environmental and physiological reasons for these two conditions. If the patient consults an ophthalmologist after the dryness problem occurs, the ophthalmologist asks the patient a number of questions to understand the root cause of the problem and also tries to reveal the cause of the problem by performing various tests. The question of what is good for dry eyes is one of the frequently asked questions. Reducing the following causes can help eliminate the problem. Once the main reason or reasons causing dryness are identified, treatment is started according to the patient. If deemed necessary by the ophthalmologist, the patient may make some suggestions regarding changes in environmental factors and lifestyle.
The causes of dry eyes are basically as follows:
Smoking
Exposure to high levels of cigarette smoke and regular use of tobacco products cause this moisture to dry out while the outer surface of the eye is normally moist.
Aging
As we get older, tear production by metabolism decreases. Therefore, it can be considered a natural consequence of aging. The incidence of dry eye increases, especially after the age of 50. Starting from this age, symptoms of dryness are more common in people.
Spending Too Much Time in a Windy Outdoor Environment
When the average air temperature is low and strong winds are intense. The incidence of similar problems is higher in people living in climates where it is present. The main reason for this situation is that constant exposure to wind causes tears on the outer surface of the eye to evaporate more quickly. As a result, chronic dry eye problems occur.
Contact Lens Use
Incorrect use of contact lenses poses the risk of eye dryness. The use of contact lenses may cause insufficient oxygen to reach the cornea, and as a result, the amount of oil, which is a component of tears, may decrease. As a result, dryness and moisture loss in the eyes may occur.
Allergic Disorders
In contact with various allergic substances, watery eyes, redness, itching and stinging may occur. The use of antihistamine medication to eliminate allergic problems may worsen this problem in someone who had a complaint of dry eye before.
Inflammations in the Eyelid
The eyelid inflammation, also known as blepharitis, may worsen the problem. With the inflammation that develops on the eyelid, blockage occurs in the oil glands on the inside and outside of the eyelashes. In this case, it causes dry eyes. By treating the inflammation, the complaint of dryness is eliminated.
Regular Use of Various Medicines
Long-term and regular use of some medicines causes mucus, one of the components of tears, It may cause a decrease in the production of any of the water and oil components. As a result of this type of decrease, the problem of rapid evaporation of tears and dry eyes occurs. Various allergy medications and anti-depressants, as well as diuretics and some blood pressure medications, can cause this type of problem. If it is thought that a dryness problem occurs with the use of these drugs, a doctor should be consulted without delay.
Spending Long Time in Front of the Screen
In our age, with the development of technology Due to changing working conditions and the benefits of daily life, the time spent in front of the computer and the use of mobile phones takes up a significant place in our lives. Although the use of these devices reduces our blinking times, they have a serious negative effect on the moisture of the eye. Taking a break every 20 minutes to turn our eyes to a different point and allowing the eyes to rest is important to prevent eye dryness.
Sjörgen Syndrome
Sjörgen syndrome It is an autoimmune disease that manifests itself as a result of the attack of white blood cells on the external secretion glands. With this disease, salivary and tear glands are the main tissues affected. With this effect, problems occur in both glands and decreases in saliva and tear production, leading to dry eyes.
Inadequate Water Consumption and Dehydration
As the weather gets warmer, the evaporation rate of our tears also increases. Dryness can be prevented if sufficient water consumption is provided during the day.
Vitamin A Deficiency
Vitamin A is one of the vitamins that are good for the eyes and is extremely important in protecting eye health. It is important. With vitamin A deficiency, not only dry eyes but also other eye problems such as night blindness and softening of the cornea may occur. This deficiency can be eliminated by consuming foods rich in vitamin A. Other less common causes of the problem are as follows:
- Frequent air travel,
- Gender,
- Short-term dryness after laser surgery,
- Omega 3 deficiency,
- Disruptions in the blink reflex,
- Discomfort in which the eyelid hangs from the eyeball. (Ectropion),
- Discomfort in which the eyelid turns inward,
- Various systemic diseases related to the immune system,
- Exposure of the eye to harmful lights for a long time.
What is Good for Dry Eyes?
The question of what is good for dry eyes is asked by many people. Dry eye problems are more common in climate conditions where the continental climate is intense, that is, where dry and cold weather prevails, such as Central Anatolia and Eastern Anatolia. Similarly, dryness problems may occur in closed and air-conditioned environments due to dry air and intense time spent in such environments. Some precautions that can be taken to reduce the problem in this regard and some other issues are as follows:
- Ensuring that the air in the environment is humidified,
- Do not stare at a screen for a long time and avoid looking at a screen for a long time. resting the eyes every minute,
- Acquiring nutritional habits that are beneficial to eye health,
- Staying away from environments where cigarettes and tobacco products are used,
- When necessary, taking medication on the advice of a doctor. Using eye drops regularly,
- Paying attention to cleaning the eye area and eyelashes,
- Consuming plenty of water,
- Using eye protection glasses in very windy and dry weather
- Measures such as li>
might be the answer to a curious question, such as what is good for dry eyes.
What are the Symptoms of Dry Eye?
Dry eye gives distinct and obvious symptoms. The person can understand these symptoms on his own and should immediately consult an ophthalmologist to begin treatment for dryness as soon as possible. Although dryness rarely affects one eye, it usually affects both eyes. The most common dry eye symptoms are as follows:
- Stinging, burning, redness, itching,
- Sensitivity to light,
- Eye discomfort during contact lens use,
- Feeling of a foreign object in the eye,
- Blurring of vision that improves by blinking,
- Feeling of eye fatigue and pain in some cases,< /li>
- Difficulty driving at night,
- Watering eyes due to irritation,
- Increased sensitivity in eyes in windy and smoky environments,
- The most common eye symptoms are symptoms of dryness.
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How to Treat Dry Eye?
Dry eye treatment begins with an eye examination. The existence of the problem in the patient and how far it has progressed are revealed as a result of this examination. The cause of the problem may be insufficient tear production or rapid evaporation of tears. In the next stage of the examination, the ophthalmologist determines what kind of treatment will be followed specifically for the patient.
The main purpose of the treatment is to permanently restore the moisture lost by the surface of the eye and to prevent severe irritation that may occur on the surface of the cornea.
Methods for the treatment of dry eyes vary depending on the cause of the disease. Various artificial tear drops, antibiotics, punctum occlusion, hot compress and laser treatment can be applied.
If the cause of dryness is due to systemic disease, a separate method is followed for the treatment of this disease. In addition, by asking various questions to the patient, the ophthalmologist learns the environmental factors that will cause dryness specific to the patient's condition, and if deemed necessary, various recommendations can be made to the patient to make changes in his/her lifestyle.
Drops for Dry Eyes
Artificial Tear Drops and Gels: One of the most commonly used treatment methods for the treatment of dry eyes is artificial tear drops and gels.
In patients with dryness problems, the duration of tears in the eye is short. Therefore, the use of artificial tears moisturizes the eye surface and provides relief to the patient. Depending on the degree of dryness, the appropriate drops and gel are prescribed to the patient by the ophthalmologist.
They are used alone or together with other drops, depending on the degree of the disease. While low-density drops are preferred for patients suffering from dry eyes due to spending too much time in front of screens such as computers and tablets, tear drops containing hyaluronic acid may be preferred for advanced patients.
Steroid Drops: Artificial tear drops and gel can be used for patients whose complaints of redness, stinging and burning do not improve. Steroid dales that act on the surface of the eye can be used. The ophthalmologist decides on the use of these drops specifically for the patient's condition.
Cyclosporin Drops: If the cause of dry eye is inflammation on the surface, cyclosporine drops or cortisone drops treatment methods can be used.
Antibiotic Treatment:If the cause of dry eye problem is blepharitis, there may be a lack of oil in the tear components. For this reason, antibiotic treatment can be applied orally or in the form of drops to clear the inflammation.
IPRL Laser Treatment Method
After a special gel is applied to both eyelids, IPRL laser application is performed on the eyelids. The aim of the treatment is to open the blocked glands that do not work. The application takes approximately 2 minutes for both eyes. The treatment can be applied for a total of 3 or 4 sessions, every 15 days.
