Beer is bad, Caffeine is good! Dry eye in Michigan
Recent studies show that alcohol makes dry eye worse, but caffeine increases tear production.
Recent studies show that alcohol makes dry eye worse, but caffeine increases tear production.
Dry eye in Detroit got worse this week due to increasing cold and decreasing humidity. Alternatives to tears discussed.
Dry eye season is coming fast! Anyone who has dry eye syndrome, or even mild dry eyes, is beginning to notice that irritation is getting worse. Why are things getting worse now?First, let's talk about symptoms of dry eye syndrome. Most patients simply experience dry or gritty sensations in their eyes. These tend to be worse later in the day, as we use our eyes. They are made worse by use of computers, reading, and driving, since we tend to blink less when we are doing these activities. Other symptoms may include tiredness, intermittent blurred vision, and even tearing.So why do these symptoms get worse this time of year? As the air gets colder, the humidity in the air drops, increasing dryness. On top of that, forced air heat, which is in use in most buildings, is very dry. Most office buildings, stores etc do not have humidifiers on their heat, which only makes matters worse.Increase your artificial tear use this Holiday season...and if that does not work, consider going to your eye d
A patient asked me today if his chronic red eyes really "mean anything". When I asked him what he meant, he said that his eyes feel better due to the dry eye treatment with Restasis, but that the redness had not completely resolved. This lead us to a pretty interesting discussion about red eyes, local diseases of the eye, and what systemic (whole body) problems can lead to red eyes.To put it in simplest form, redness is a sign of irritation. This can be due to dry eyes, allergies, infection, or inflammation, and can range from mild to severe. Many patients do not even feel that there is a problem, but notice redness when they look in the mirror.The first line of treatment is to use soothing lubricant drops, or artificial tears. Visine and other 'get the red out' drops are only to be used occasionally, not long-term, but tears can be used forever if they are working. If tears and other local treatments are not working, then other causes should be considered. Thyroid disease can be link
Dry eye syndrome is one of the most common problems treated in eye care offices. Symptoms and treatment are addressed in this post