If your eyes feel dry and you experience a stinging or burning type of eye discomfort, you are likely suffering from dry eye disease. There can be various reasons for this health condition. Fortunately, you also have many treatment options. Your ophthalmologist can recommend the best OTC for dry eyes to help you obtain relief.

What are dry eyes?

Dry eyes are a common eye ailment that arises from a lack of sufficient lubrication in your eyes. Your eyes don’t produce adequate or high-quality tears to moisten the eye surface sufficiently. Normally, there are three tear film layers in your eyes, made up of fatty oils, aqueous fluid, and mucus, and these layers are why your eyes remain well-lubricated and healthy. Dysfunction in these layers leads to dry eyes.

If the condition persists, it can lead to eye infections, eye inflammations, eye surface damage, and vision loss. It is advisable to consult your ophthalmologist and get the best OTC for dry eyes if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• Redness of eyes

• Watery eyes

• Blurred vision

• Eye fatigue

• Poor night vision

• Eye sensitivity to light

• Stinging sensation in eyes

• Burning sensation in eyes

• Scratchy sensation in eyes

• A feeling of having something in your eyes

• Excessive mucus secretion from the eyes

What are the causes of dry eyes?

Various age, health, and lifestyle-related factors can cause dry eyes. Older people are prone to dry eyes since the tear production diminishes after 50. Pregnant or menopausal women may also experience dry eyes due to hormonal changes. Health issues like autoimmune diseases, allergies, and Vitamin A deficiency can also cause dry eyes.

You may experience dry eyes if you wear contact lenses, travel extensively on airplanes, live or work in air-conditioned places, or ride a bicycle or motorbike without wearing protective eyeglasses. Spending too much time continuously before a computer, looking a lot at your smartphone, and reading too much can also lead to dry eyes. Additionally, you might suffer from the condition due to inadequate sleep or a diet lacking proper nutrition.

Taking antidepressants, birth control pills, antihistamines, and other medications also cause dry eyes.

How can you prevent the dry eye condition from arising?

While it may not be possible to prevent dry eyes entirely, you can take the following steps to reduce the symptoms:

• When working on the computer, take frequent breaks to rest your eyes. Look away from the screen at least every 20 minutes. Close your eyes or blink rapidly to stimulate tear production.

• If you spend a lot of time in a dry, high-altitude, or air-conditioned environment, frequently close or blink your eyes and wear protective eyeglasses. That can minimize the rate of tear evaporation and keep your eyes moist.

• Maintain moisture levels in indoor environments with humidifiers.

• Avoid directing fans, air conditioners, heaters, or dryers towards your eyes.

What are the treatment options for dry eyes?

There are various home remedies, OTC, prescription, and surgical treatment options for dry eyes. It is essential to always try these treatments after consulting a licensed and experienced ophthalmologist.

Home remedies for dry eyes

• Perform eye exercises to increase tear production.

• Wash your eyelids frequently with warm water.

• Wet a soft cotton cloth in warm water and hold it over your closed eyelids for a few minutes.

• Add foods containing Vitamin A to your diet.

• Take supplements with omega-3 fatty acids.

• Use castor oil eye drops or other specially formulated eye drops available OTC for dry eyes.

• Try acupuncture therapy.

• Massage eyelids.

Medical treatment for dry eyes

• Take prescription antibiotic tablets, ointments, or eye drops to reduce eyelid or corneal inflammation.

• Use quick-dissolving eye inserts made of hydroxypropyl cellulose under the lower eyelids to work like artificial tears and lubricate the eyes.

• Take pills, eye drops, or gels of cholinergic drugs to stimulate tears.

• Use autologous blood serum drops made from your blood to treat severe dry eyes.

• Use temporary, removable silicone plugs or a more permanent thermal cautery procedure to partially or completely close tear ducts and prevent tears from draining away too quickly.

• Wear scleral or bandage contact lenses to keep the eye surface moist.

• Use thermal pulsation to unclog blocked oil glands.

• Undergo light therapy.