I. What is dry eye?
Tears are mainly secreted by the lacrimal gland and spread to the whole eye surface through transient action, which has an important protective and nutritive effect on the eye.
The stability of the tear film depends on the normal quantity and quality of the layers of the tear film (lipid layer, aqueous layer and mucin layer from outside to inside) and the normal tear dynamics.
When the quantity or quality of tears is abnormal, resulting in reduced tear film stability, it will cause a series of eye discomfort symptoms and eye surface damage, which is dry eye.
Second, how do I know if I have dry eye?
If you have one of the following symptoms, then you should be vigilant.
1.Sense of dry eyes: eyes feel dry and not hydrated enough, which is very obvious in air-conditioned places.
2. Foreign body sensation in the eyes: there seems to be sand in the eyes.
3, visual fatigue: after using the eyes, the eyes feel sore and swollen, watching TV is more likely to fatigue.
4. Eye burning sensation: the eyes are hot and feverish.
5, photophobia: discomfort of opening the eyes under certain light intensity.
6.Irritation symptoms: easy to have stinging, photophobia, tearing and other discomfort in a smoky environment.
Why do I have dry eye and still have tears?
Dry eyes are more prone to irritation because of the lack of tear protection, and some patients instead show reflexive tearing after seeing wind or smoke and other stimuli.
Fourth, what tests do dry eye patients need?
Patients suspected of having dry eye need to undergo relevant examinations in the hospital, mainly.
1, tear secretion examination (Schirmer): mainly used to understand the change of tear secretion, normal people ≥ 10mm;
2, tear film rupture time (BUT): reflect the stability of the tear film, normal people ≥ 10 seconds.
3, fluorescein staining: reflect the degree of ocular surface damage, normal staining is negative.
V. Common causes of dry eye.
1, the environment: strong sunlight, dry or windy climate, heaters, air conditioning and plateau zone can increase the evaporation of tears on the surface of the eye. In addition you are watching TV, computer screen or reading books when blinking less can also trigger dry eye.
2, contact lenses: contact lenses can increase the evaporation of tears and cause related dry eye symptoms. Dry eye can lead to protein deposits on the lens, irritating the eye, producing pain, infection or allergic reaction to contact lens drops. Dry eyes are the main reason why many people stop wearing contact lenses.
3. Age: Tear production decreases as people age. When a person reaches 65 years old, the tear secretion from the lacrimal gland is only 40% of what it was at age 18. The decrease in tear secretion can cause dry eyes.
4, drugs: Some drugs may reduce tear secretion, such as vasoconstrictors, antihistamines, eye medications for glaucoma, and diuretics. Preservatives in eye medications and artificial tears can cause dry eyes, and long-term use of artificial tears without preservatives is recommended.
5, surgical factors: repeated use of surface anesthetics during eye surgery can produce toxicity to the cornea and stroma. The glucocorticoids and antibiotic eye drops routinely used after surgery can also have toxic effects on the cornea. Some surgeries themselves produce varying degrees of damage to the ocular surface nerves. All these factors may lead to postoperative dry eye.
VI. Is dry eye harmful to the eye?
Yes, if left untreated, severe dry eye can lead to chronic inflammation of the eye and eyelids, corneal ulcers, scarring, permanent vision loss, and even blindness.
7. What should I do if I have dry eye?
The treatment of dry eye should be comprehensive and based on the cause, taking into account the patient’s specific situation. For most of the dry eyes caused by the reduction of basic tears, there are mainly treatments such as artificial tears and tear duct plugging.
How to choose and use artificial tears?
The artificial tears currently used in clinical practice have their own characteristics, and each patient should choose the artificial tears suitable for him or her according to his or her specific etiology, severity, type of disease and economic conditions. Things that should be noted.
1, because most of the artificial tears currently in use contain preservatives, long-term use will aggravate dry eyes, so it is recommended to use artificial tears without preservatives;
2, the use of artificial tears is not the more times the better, frequent use will also wash away the normal tear film, but will speed up the evaporation of tears, so dry eye patients should not use artificial tears frequently, should be dry eye symptoms relief as the standard, comply with the “minimum” principle, it is recommended that it is best not to exceed 4-5 times a day.
Nine, tear duct plug plug closure treatment!
By partially closing the tear drainage ducts, the natural and artificial tear retention on the surface of the eye is enhanced. This treatment can effectively relieve dry eye in the long term.
1.Tear duct closure treatment for dry eye is effective and long lasting.
2.The plug plug implantation is simple and convenient, and the patient has no pain during the installation.
3, except for a very few patients have plug plug off and tear overflow, tear duct closure treatment without other side effects.
4, the doctor can remove it at any time through the tear irrigation flushing method.