I. What is dry eye?
Dry eye is a syndrome in which the main symptom is dryness and discomfort of the eyes caused by the decrease of tear secretion and tear film abnormality from any cause. Patients often feel dryness and discomfort, foreign body sensation, burning sensation, soreness and pain, photophobia, redness, blurred vision, visual fatigue, and indolent vision.
Second, how is dry eye formed?
The surface of the human eye is protected by a tear film, which is a film formed by one’s own tears, covering the surface of the eye, and is a dynamic “flowing water” that is constantly produced by itself and constantly excreted through the tear ducts, keeping the eye moist. This tear film is composed of the tear fluid produced by the human lacrimal gland, the mucin produced by the conjunctival cup cells and the lipids produced by the lid glands, so any failure in any of the links that produce and form the tear film will destroy the tear film and produce dryness.
Who is prone to dry eye disease?
Many diseases, surgeries and bad habits can cause dry eye, such as diseases of the lacrimal gland that lead to insufficient tear secretion, large burns of the bulbar conjunctiva that lead to a decrease in mucin, and blepharitis or gland blockage that lead to a decrease in lipid secretion, all of which can cause dry eye; patients after cataract surgery and myopic laser surgery can also experience transient dry eye symptoms; eye use Excessive eye use, such as long hours of work at the computer, long hours of driving, due to the reduction in the number of blinks will also have dry eye symptoms; in addition, menopause, after the eye surface disease, dry eye syndrome patients often have dry eye symptoms.
Fourth, what are the treatment methods of dry eye?
The key to dry eye treatment is to find out the cause of dry eye and treat the cause. The occurrence and aggravation of some dry eyes are related to the living and working environment, such as long-term work in an air-conditioned environment, frequent use of computers or night driving, etc. In these cases, the exposed area of the lid fissure increases, the frequency of transient eyes decreases, and tear evaporation increases. In addition, smoking, swimming, and long-term use of various eye medications can also cause dry eye and should be taken into account.
Patients with mild to moderate dry eye can use artificial tears to moisten the eye surface and relieve symptoms. Gel preparations are recommended for patients with severe dry eye. In patients with severe dry eye, a lacrimal suppository can be considered, which is a small, specially designed suppository blocked in the lower tear duct to reduce tear drainage. Dry eye caused by blepharitis and conjunctival trauma should also be treated etiologically, and dry eye caused by dry syndrome should be treated systemically.
According to Chinese medicine, dry eyes are related to the dysfunction of internal organs, mostly due to old age and physical decline, liver and kidney deficiency and lack of yin essence; or spleen deficiency, lack of Qi and blood biochemistry, and loss of moistening of the eyes. The etiology and pathogenesis can be broadly categorized into four points.
1, deficiency of lung yin, formula with nourishing yin and clearing lung soup plus reduction;
2, Yin deficiency and fire, with Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan plus or minus;
3, Dampness and heat in the spleen and stomach, reduced with Dampness Removal Soup;
4, deficiency of liver and kidney yin, with Qiju Dihuang Wan, plus or minus. In women before and after menopause, liver and kidney yin deficiency is the most common type of dry eyes, which mainly manifests as insufficient tear secretion. Acupuncture, Chinese medicine fumigation and spray treatment have also achieved certain efficacy in clinical practice, which all reflect the advantages of Chinese medicine in treating both the symptoms and the root cause of dry eye disease.
V. How to prevent dry eye disease?
Maintaining good working and living habits is an effective way to prevent dry eye.
1, life in moderation and orderly, enough rest, avoid staying up late and overuse of eyesight; avoid prolonged operation of the computer, pay attention to the intermediate rest. Usually 1 hour of continuous operation, rest 5 to 10 minutes. When resting, you can look away or do eye exercises. When using a computer for a long time, it is best not to wear contact lenses, so as not to aggravate the dryness of the eyes.
2, pay attention to eye hygiene and sand and smoke, reduce the use of bad eye cosmetics.
3, avoid spicy fried food, prohibit smoking and alcohol; eat more soy products, fish, milk, walnuts, vegetables and fruits, etc., to keep bowel movements smooth.
4, local medication should not be too long, too many types.
5, refractive error patients should wear the appropriate degree of glasses, if you must wear contact lenses, the time should not be too long.
6, improve the work and living environment, improve the quality of life.
The principle of Chinese food therapy is to nourish the yin, nourish the liver and kidneys, patients should not eat foods that are easy to “get hot”, such as chili, hot pot, barbecue, etc., eat more light and bright things such as wolfberries, vegetables, fruits, vitamins, carrots, etc.