People who are experiencing discomfort because of dry eyes often wonder how the condition developed. Your eye doctor can usually explain more about the factors that are involved.
Excessive Use of Contact Lenses
Many people around the world wear contact lenses. These provide the same level of visual acuity as glasses.
When they first receive a pair of contact lenses they’re usually advised to avoid wearing them right through the day. Excessive contact with this type of lens can cause you to develop dry eyes.
Age
People who don’t wear contact lenses can also develop dry eyes. As individuals grow older they may find that they’re more prone to developing this condition. However, it’s less common in children than in adults, a child can also develop dry eyes.
Your natural tears are designed to keep your eyes moist. Tears also help to eliminate many of the organisms that would otherwise cause harm to your eyes or enter other parts of your body through your eyes.
However, tear production slows down as you age. Individuals over the age of 50 sometimes find that their tear production has decreased to the point where their eyes may start to feel a little uncomfortable.
An eye doctor can prescribe artificial tears. These perform the same lubricating function as real tears, allowing your eyes to feel more relaxed throughout the day.
Medicines
Your medication can also cause you to develop dry eyes. Your tears include several ingredients. Mucus is one of these and so is water.
Medication that interferes with your body’s production of these ingredients can eventually lead to dry eyes. For example, if you’re taking a diuretic or a beta blocker in order to help with high blood pressure, you may sometimes have problems with dry eyes.
If you’re suffering from dry eyes Castle Rock doctors can suggest another type of medication that is less likely to cause dry eyes. In some cases, they may recommend that you reduce the dosage of the medication that you’re currently using.
Working Remotely
As more and more people start to work from home, they may find themselves more prone to developing dry eyes. This is because they’re likely to spend longer hours working in front of a computer screen.
When you’re constantly looking at a computer screen while you work, you blink less often than you normally would and this places excessive strain on your eyes. If you work with a computer, it’s important to take breaks so that your eyes can recover from the strain.