Dry Eye Disease Treatment: Is There a Quick Fix to Dry Eye Disease?

When it comes to your health, usually, there are no easy wins. It requires routine, commitment, and following a regimen or diet to ensure you’re giving your body the best treatment it deserves. This is also the case with your eye health. For Dry Eye Disease, you can help tackle symptoms and reduce the severity of the disease by ensuring your diet is full of the vitamins and nutrients your eyes need to perform at their best. This, alongside avoiding triggers and leading a lifestyle that isn’t going to cause the onset of symptoms, can help you avoid the worst of Dry Eye Disease. 

However, as this condition and other eye problems are caused by a variety of factors that are out of your control, including age, sex, and your hormones, many people are looking for quick ways to reduce the symptoms so they can still enjoy their lives.[1]

Ever been to an important event and found that excessive watering of your eyes ruined your makeup? Did the irritating itch of dry eyes stop you from fully enjoying moments with the ones you love the most?

We’ve pulled together some of the top ways to fix dry eyes quickly, as well as recommended treatments to alleviate your discomfort. Read on to see how you can live a life without the stress of Dry Eye Disease. 

What is Dry Eye Disease?

Dry Eye Disease is a very common condition, affecting 1 in 4 of the UK population.[2] It’s a condition that occurs when your eyes aren’t able to produce enough tears or tears of high enough quality to adequately hydrate and protect your eyes. This can cause the sensation of scratching, itching, and further complications.[3]

Tears are made up of three layers (an oily layer, a watery layer, and a mucus layer), and when one of these is affected, it can cause disruption to your tear composition.[4]

What are the causes of Dry Eye Disease?

Medication that can cause Dry Eye Disease symptoms

The causes of dry eyes are numerous, with some people getting Dry Eye Disease as a side effect of medication. This medication includes acne medicine, certain antidepressants (like Tricyclic antidepressants), antihistamines, beta blockers (that are often used to control blood pressure or as an anxiety medication), and even common painkillers like ibuprofen.[5]

It’s important to speak to your doctor if you’re experiencing symptoms of Dry Eye Disease and you’re currently taking medication so you can review whether it may be a result of your medication usage and whether they can assist you in switching medication or dosages to reduce severe symptoms.

Medical conditions and Dry Eye Disease

Another reason it’s worth speaking to your doctor about severe dry eyes is that it can be caused by other medical conditions. In certain cases, Dry Eye Disease can be a sign of other eye conditions such as blepharitis, thyroid eye disease, or Sjögren’s syndrome.[6]

Sjögren’s syndrome is an autoimmune condition that can cause abnormal kidney or liver function, lung problems, and even neurological problems that cause weakness and numbness, so it’s important that if you feel you’re having symptoms (include Dry Eye Disease), that you raise this with your doctor or primary care physician to monitor and potentially get tested so you can avoid more severe repercussions.[7]

Dry Eye Disease and menopause

There are factors that can make it more likely for you to develop Dry Eye Disease as well such as if you’re a woman and if you’re over 50[1]. Hormonal issues that can often occur during menopause can make it more likely for you to develop symptoms of Dry Eye Syndrome.

Dry Eye Disease and your environment

Environmental factors can play a role in the development of Dry Eye Disease and can aggravate symptoms if you’re already experiencing dry eyes. Colder air is less humid, leading to dryer eyes and more irritation. Allergens such as hay fever can increase the feeling of discomfort that’s associated with dry eyes and even sunlight can evaporate your tears more quickly. In addition to this, other environmental factors can cause Dry Eye Disease:

Wind
Dust
Air conditioning
Heaters
Pollution
Heat[8]

Lifestyle choices that cause Dry Eye Disease

While you can’t always control the triggers of Dry Eye Disease, there are a few lifestyle choices you are in control of that can lead to dry eyes. These include:

Drinking – Alcohol dehydrates the body – including the eyes, causing dryness and irritation, alongside causing inflammation which can affect the meibomian glands that produce the oily layer of the tear film.[9]

Screen use – People who work office jobs or have a high screentime can often experience dry eye symptoms. In fact, looking at screens for more then 3.5 hours daily can increase your risk of developing Dry Eye Disease by 45%.[10]

Smoking – Chemicals in smoke can cause your protective layer of tears to break down, meaning your eyes are exposed to irritants. This leads to irritation, dryness, and discomfort.[11]

Dry Eye Treatment

Dry Eye Disease may be a common condition; however, it’s not one that many people want to live with their whole life due to the pain and irritation it causes. If you’re suffering, it doesn’t have to take over all your time. Instead, there are ways to deal and even treat Dry Eye Disease.

How to cure Dry Eye Disease permanently?

While it would be ideal to have one cure that worked for everyone to fix Dry Eye Disease forever, unfortunately the current consensus from medical professionals is that it isn’t that simple. Ophthalmologist and eye surgeon, Dr. Thomas Dohmam shared that “Dry Eye Disease is a chronic, complex condition and we don’t have a strict playbook to follow for treatment. We can’t cure it or make it go away but we can manage it.”[12]

There’s no cure for dry eyes, but there are a variety of treatments that can help you manage your symptoms.

Can Dry Eye fix itself?

Dry Eye Disease won’t fix itself, but it may be less severe at certain times. Many people who experience Dry Eye Disease have what are called ‘flare-ups’. This is an episode of worsening symptoms that can be caused by an external trigger such as environmental or lifestyle triggers like being around smoke. 80% of people who suffer from Dry Eye Disease will experience flareups.[13]

Symptoms may recede at times, but the alleviation of irritation often happens when you avoid triggers or seek treatment.

How do you fix dry eyes quickly?

If you suffer from mild-moderate Dry Eye Disease flareups that are often triggered by the environment or lifestyle factors, the best thing you can do is to avoid these triggers. This is the best way to avoid the discomfort of symptoms. However, this would just help you avoid dry eyes, not fix it quickly.

Switching up your environment to help avoid environmental factors for Dry Eye Disease can also help, such as using a humidifier in your home or office. In warmer months or in office buildings, the air is often dry, aggravating your eyes and contributing to symptoms. Adding humidity to the air increases air moisture, helping to ensure your eyes remain hydrated.[14]

The most common and quickest way to help relieve the symptoms of Dry Eye Disease are artificial tears. If you’re finding through the day, you’re suffering from burning, itching, and irritation, lubricating eye drops can be the best choice to help you soothe your dry eyes. Plus, they’re easy to put in and can be carried with you without issue.[15]

The best eyedrops for Dry Eye Disease

The best eyedrops for Dry Eyes will often depend on your needs and wants. While some people want a long-lasting eye drop, they can apply in the morning and get through work without an issue, other people may feel they need a more lightweight choice for their dry eye relief. If you’re curious what would work best for you, you can take the quiz on our site today through this link: click here.

For mild dry eyes, Xailin® Tears can be a great choice for relief. Plus, they are contact lens friendly. Shop Xailin® Tears here.

For more severe cases of Dry Eye Syndrome, you might need Xailin® Intense. These eye drops have a more viscous solution, allowing them to adequately hydrate and soothe your rotated eyes. Shop for Xailin® Intense here.

Looking for more long-lasting relief that takes you from clock in to clock out? Xailin® Gel is a viscous and hypotonic lubricant to help you fight the symptoms of Dry Eye Disease. Shop Xailin® Gel here.

Another quick solution for dry eyes you can do at home is using a warm compress. The warm, clean, wet cloth will help improve meibomian gland function, helping to improve the oily layer of tears in your eyes, reducing dryness.

A great diet will help ensure you can avoid developing Dry Eye Disease, including omega 3 fatty acids which are found in oily fish such as salmon and nuts and seeds like flaxseed. But a quicker fix to relieve your irritating symptoms and ensure you’re keeping your eyes as moist and comfortable as possible; is to ensure you are prioritising hydration. Increasing your water intake (aim for at least 8 glasses a day) can help you quickly fix your dry eye issues.[16]

Cleaning and massaging your eyes are an effective way to find some relief with your Dry Eye Disease. You can find specialist cleansers for your eyelids that specifically work to remove any debris, gently cleans, and help maintain the overall health of your eyes, helping you fight pollen, allergens, irritation, and even conditions like blepharitis – like Naviblef® Daily Care which you can shop now on the Visu Shop website.

What’s a long-term solution to Dry Eye Disease?

There are certain long-term treatments to Dry Eye that won’t restrict your life, affect your activity, or require you to use regular treatment. Eye specialists and doctors can suggest alternative treatment if your Dry Eye Disease is severe enough, including Intense Pulse Light (IPL) which uses light pulses to unblock and clear the meibomian glands. Other treatment includes moisture chamber goggles to help your eyes keep moisture or the Lipiflow system that helps heat and massage your eyelids to stimulate your meibomian glands and improve blepharitis.[17]

If your Dry Eye Disease has caused damage to your cornea, then many optometrists or ophthalmologists may suggest speciality contact lenses to help repair the eye surface. There are different designs and functions to the contacts with some being specially fitted for patients and others using a donated piece of amniotic tissue. However, these options can be very expensive and difficult to source with certain prosthetic replacements designed for severe Dry Eye Disease damage only available at 12 eyecare institutions globally.[18]

There’s no one quick fix to Dry Eye Disease, but with the right knowledge and the right products, there are ways you can relieve symptoms quickly and easily, helping you live a life free of dry eyes. If you’re looking for more advice on managing your dry eyes and other eye conditions you may have, feel free to explore our blog.

References

Back to news