If you’ve ever had dry eyes, you know how uncomfortable this feeling can be. But while some people only experience dry eyes as a result of their surroundings or something they did on a particular day, others experience dry eyes on a very regular basis. Especially as you age, your chances of having chronic dry eyes increases.
Luckily, there are some simple, at-home remedies you can try to alleviate this issue. To show you how, here are three tips for dealing with dry eyes.
Start With Your Eyelids
Dry eyes often involve more than just your actual eyeballs. According to Kierstan Boyd, a contributor to AAO.org, having clear eyelids can play a bit part in how dry or moist your eyes are able to stay.
Because of this, you may want to try using a warm compress to clean off your eyelids every day if you’ve been having issues with dry eyes. Additionally, you should then use warm water and soap to clean your eyelids after you’ve finished with the compress. For each of these things, make sure you’re always using a clean, soft washcloth or towel to press to eyes or wipe them dry afterward.
Add Moisture
If your eyelids are clean but you’re still having issues with keeping your eyes naturally moist, you might want to look into additional ways that you can add moisture to your eyes.
The staff at the Mayo Clinic shares that there are quite a few different over-the-counter products that you can try for adding moisture to your eyes. These include things like drops and ointments. Depending on how dry your eyes are, how much time you have to wait for a treatment to work, and what you’re currently doing with your eyes, the treatment you choose will vary.
If you find that you have to use one or more of these treatments on a very regular basis, make sure you bring up your issues with your healthcare provider to ensure that there are no bigger issues taking place that are causing your dryness.
Give Your Eyes A Break From Screens
For many people, it’s the daily tasks and habits of life that add to the dryness of their eyes. If this is the situation you find yourself in, it’s good to know what habits you can stop or change in order to help your eyes.
One of the biggest culprits is the screens we spend so much of our day looking at. The light from these screens, and the reduced amount of blinking, can cause your eyes to feel dry. To combat this, Dr. Brian S. Boxer Wachler, a contributor to WebMD.com, recommends that you give your eyes a break from any screens after using them for 20 minutes.
If you have chronically dry eyes, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you overcome this issue.