A Functional Approach to Eye Health & Dry Eye

Dry eye is among the recurrent conditions presented to optometrists across America. Already, 16 million people have it. Typically, doctors treat dry eye with prescription medication. But, this only relieves the symptoms without addressing the cause of the condition. Without treating the source, rarely do the typical treatment methods succeed. Thus, there’s a need for alternative therapy treatment that addresses both the underlying issue and the symptoms.

 

Routine Eye Exams Help

Regular eye exams remain the first step to eye treatment. Eye exams diagnose eye disease and other conditions you could have in the rest of the body. From just a routine eye exam, eye doctors have caught undiagnosed diabetes, brain tumors, and cancerous lesions. Eye exams have also helped to diagnose severe eye conditions like macular degeneration and glaucoma. So, with dry eye, regular exams help to determine the underlying cause.

 

It’s About Your Lifestyle

Sometimes, the issue is not an underlying health issue but the lifestyle you have adopted. The eye doctor explores this possibility also with questions about your life. If the doctor takes note of an issue, rather than give you a course of treatment, he or she may ask you to change some lifestyle habits. They include:

 

Blue Light Exposure

Blue light is the light emitted by digital screen devices. The sun also produces lots of it. Blue light from the sun gets into the system during the day and vanishes at sundown. It prompts your body to produce serotonin, which the body converts into melatonin later at night. Melatonin is a hormone the brain produces to help you fall asleep and develop a circadian rhythm.

 

Exposure to blue light at night by the use of digital devices blocks the production of melatonin. So, put away any devices and turn off all screens an hour before bedtime. With adequate rest, the health of your body improves, including that of your eyes.

 

Eyestrain

Eyestrain is your eyes getting tired from intense use for a prolonged period. These days, eyestrain is common because people use their computers, phones, and other devices for extended periods.

 

Dry eye is one of the primary symptoms of eyestrain. Your eyes dry up because when focusing intensely, you rarely blink. The eyes do not get enough moisture, and they dry up. But, if you consciously blinked more regularly, you would effectively moisten and oil up the surface of your eyes.

 

An Improper Diet

If your overall health is not good, your eyes too are suffering. So, improve your general health with healthy meals and adequate water so that your entire system can function properly.

 

Failure to Clean Your Eyes Properly

Although it’s normal to have bacteria in your eyelids, an overpopulation of them is problematic. Bacteria produce waste that causes eye irritation, inflammation, and dryness. The way to reverse these symptoms is to keep your eyes clean with the help of a hypochlorous acid eye cleanser.

 

A functional approach to your eye health treats the cause rather than the symptoms of dry eye only. But, chief among these prevention steps is to have routine eye exams because they diagnose underlying eye problems early. Get your eyes examined and treated at the Advanced Eyecare Center in Perry, Georgia.

 

Learn more about a functional approach to eye health & dry eye, contact Advanced Eyecare Center in Perry, Georgia at (478) 412-4200.