Beware! These types of people are prone to dry eyes in autumn and winter. Ophthalmologists teach you how to save yourself

As winter approaches, the weather becomes colder and drier, diseases that are highly prevalent in autumn and winter also come with it, and our eye health also faces many challenges.

The tears of a normal person contain not only "water" but also "oil" secreted by the meibomian glands. The oil is distributed on the surface of the water layer, which can effectively reduce the evaporation of water. In autumn and winter, the glandular secretion function of the meibomian glands decreases, and many people feel dry eyes, even itchy eyes, and temporary vision loss. At this time, dry eyes are prone to occur. If not properly treated in time, it may cause other eye problems.

People who are susceptible to dry eyes

Middle-aged and elderly people: With age, tear secretion decreases, making the eyes susceptible to irritation, which can sometimes cause a violent tearing reaction, known as epiphora.

Frequently engaging in work or activities that require concentration: such as long-term use of computers, long-term reading or working in front of a screen, lack of normal blinking, and prolonged exposure of the ocular surface.

Certain disease factors: such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, thyroid abnormalities, asthma, cataracts, glaucoma and lupus erythematosus.

Long-term use of certain drugs: Certain drugs can reduce tear secretion and lead to dry eye symptoms, such as antidepressants, antihistamines, diuretics, antihypertensive drugs, anesthetics, anti-ulcer drugs, etc.

Environmental factors: Living or working in an environment with air conditioning, smoke, ultraviolet rays, high temperature, dry air and pollution can increase tear evaporation and lead to dry eyes.

Contact lens wearers: Contact lenses float on tears, and wearing contact lenses will accelerate the evaporation of tears.

At the same time, people who often stay up late or have poor sleep quality, use electronic products for more than 4 hours a day, and often wear makeup are also prone to dry eyes.

Common symptoms of dry eyes

The weather is dry and cold in autumn and winter, and tears evaporate more. In addition, there is a decrease in outdoor activities, and people spend too much time in front of computer and mobile phone screens during commuting to and from get off work, which can easily lead to symptoms such as dry and astringent eyes.

If you have the following eye symptoms, you should pay attention:

Eyes are often dry and itchy, conjunctiva is non-pathologically congested, and eyes are easily fatigued.

Frequent, intermittent blurred vision occurs, accompanied by a non-pathological foreign body sensation.

The eyelids often feel tight, heavy and uncomfortable, and sometimes the discharge becomes thick and uncomfortable.

The eyes have a burning sensation, heat and stinging, and corneal epithelial defects.

Sensitive to external stimuli such as light, wind and smoke, and afraid of light and tearing.

To determine whether you suffer from dry eyes, you can go to the hospital for an examination, including tear secretion test, tear film breakup time, tear osmotic pressure, tear lysozyme content and other tests to confirm the diagnosis.

Tips for preventing dry eyes

1. Increase the ambient humidity. The weather is dry in autumn and winter. You can use a humidifier in the office or at home to increase the humidity of the air.

2. Blink more often, look at the screen less and look into the distance more. If your eyes feel dry, blink more often. Blinking can help the secretion and distribution of tears.

3. Apply hot and cold compresses to your eyes

Hot compresses can help melt the meibum and promote drainage, while cold compresses can promote tear secretion.

4. Pay attention to eyelid hygiene

Paying attention to eyelid hygiene is also one of the effective ways to prevent dry eyes. In daily life, pay attention to eye hygiene, wash your hands frequently, and don't rub your eyes with your hands, because your hands may become a medium for spreading germs.

5. Maintain good work habits

Avoid using the computer for long periods of time and let your eyes relax. When working, adjust the distance and position of the monitor to your eyes, 10 to 20 cm slightly below the eye level, and the brightness of the monitor should not be too bright, just adjust it to half of the maximum brightness.

6. Maintain healthy eating habits

You can eat some fresh fruits and vegetables such as grapes, citrus, fresh dates, carrots, etc. to supplement various trace elements and promote the healthy development of the eyes.

Dr. Chen Xiangxi, secretary of the Cornea and Ocular Surface Group of Aier Eye Hospital Group, deputy chief physician, and deputy director of the Ocular Surface and Corneal Disease Department of Aier Eye Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University (Aier Eye Hospital Group Hubei General Hospital), said that dry eyes are easy to get, but not easy to cure, so it should be taken seriously. Once the eyes are dry and uncomfortable, you must go to a regular ophthalmology hospital to seek help from professional doctors, find out the cause, and treat the symptoms.