Can drinking water cure dry eyes? Are these rumors about dry eyes true or false?

There are many rumors about how to treat dry eyes, and many people will try it themselves. Are these rumors true? Today, Shen Lei, deputy chief physician of the Comprehensive Ophthalmology Department of Aier Eye Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University, will tell you about it.

Rumor 1: Drinking water can cure dry eyes?

Have a cold? "Drink more hot water"; have a period? "Drink more hot water"; have diarrhea? "Drink more hot water"; have a toothache? "Drink more hot water". "Drink more hot water" seems to be able to cure all diseases, so can dry eyes be treated by drinking more water? At first glance, it seems to make sense. Dry eyes, since they are dry, wouldn't it be better to drink more hot water to replenish the body's water?

However, things are far from that simple. Dry eye is not just caused by "lack of water" in the eyes. It can be caused by a variety of reasons, such as abnormal tear quality or dynamics, resulting in symptoms such as dry eyes. Tear lipid deficiency, water deficiency, lipid and water deficiency, mucin deficiency, and abnormal tear dynamics may all lead to dry eye.

Therefore, when treating dry eyes, we need to develop personalized treatment plans based on different dry eye types, degrees, causes, and eye habits. It cannot be treated simply by "drinking more hot water."

Rumor 2: Can eye drops treat dry eyes?

Most people do not have the same awe for eye drops as they do for other medicines. It seems that this is a kind of medicine that they can buy and use casually, and drop a drop for dry or sore eyes, or a drop for red or itchy eyes.

However, it is incorrect to use eye drops that are recommended by unqualified people to "treat" dry eyes. Some eye drops may contain prescription drug ingredients, such as hormone eye drops or antibiotic eye drops. Unauthorized use will not only fail to "cure" dry eyes, but may also cause other eye problems. In addition, most eye drops contain preservatives, and long-term use may also cause damage to the ocular surface.

Moreover, as mentioned above, dry eye syndrome is divided into many types, which require symptomatic treatment and cannot be simply treated with eye drops.

Rumor 3: Are dry eyes common only to the elderly?

As people age, various body functions weaken and decline, including the meibomian gland function and tear secretion function. Therefore, it is indeed more likely to suffer from dry eye syndrome as people age.

But dry eyes are not exclusive to the elderly. They affect all kinds of people, including children wearing contact lenses, young people wearing eye makeup, and diabetic patients. Moreover, the elderly tend to ignore the problem of dry eyes because they pay more attention to their vision. Director Shen Lei reminded that some bad living habits are also high-risk factors for dry eyes, such as wearing cosmetic contact lenses for a long time, using electronic devices for a long time, etc., so more attention must be paid.