January sparks a mass onslaught of people signing up to all sorts of weird and wonderful regimes to try and recover form the last few weeks of festivities. We are society that in those few days that we raise a glass of Bucks Fizz or a retro Snowball regardless of what the time is all for that Red Suited figure head.
January rolls around and our over indulgence guilt sinks in and we sign up to everything and anything to cleanse one’s self. Dry January is highly popular, many people feeling that they have consumed their months’ worth of alcohol in the Christmas period. Dry January does not just mean abstaining form alcohol for a month. The New Year often brings new weather and whilst we have had a relatively mild winter so far the colder snap is starting to appear and with this it brings problems to your eyes in the form of dry eye syndrome.
Weirdly, the first and most obvious sign of dry eye is actually constant watering of the eye. It sounds ridiculous that having excess fluid would be a symptom of dry eye but it is. In this instance your tears are being evaporated before you blink. When concentrating you blink less and with this eye strain the liquid dries up so then when you do blink you are scraping the surface instead of gliding over a lubricated eyeball.
As your eyes become drier the liquid becomes more concentrated which results in an inflammation which causes the eye to get hotter which again results in quick evaporation. Often the eye then over activates the tears thus causing a flood of liquid which results in the appearance that you have just watched “The Notebook” again.
Another cause of dry eye is now that it is colder outside then the heating is being turned on in the house. Artificial heat without a break of natural air flow also causes dry eye. Also, because it is like the artic outside and we have barely any daylight you opt for staying in your cosy home trying to emulate those Hygge feels and spend more hours scrolling through your smart devices or staring at your T.V. Symptoms are usually worsened during concentration such as reading, driving or spending too much time looking at videos of dogs and what people are eating.
Other symptoms other than excessive watery eyes include hot, tired, gritty, achy. Blurry and itchy sensations.
Dry eye is very rarely damaging more just an irritation but if you are experiencing any of these symptoms please call us to book an appointment as we can check if there are any other underlying conditions and we can suggest some lubricating drops for you.
In the mean time you can try these small steps to see if it helps with the symptoms. Blink more, especially if using a screen, increase the humidity in your home or office with plants etc. drink plenty of water and eat omega 3 rich foods.
Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
