Dry Eye Syndrome

Throughout the year, many Canadians will, unfortunately, experience dry eyes. If you’ve ever had dry eyes you understand that it can be extremely irritating, painful and itchy. While common, dry eye syndrome can feel exhausting to deal with and having regular eye exams can help you to combat the effects.

What Is Dry Eye Syndrome?

Dry eye syndrome is exactly what its name suggests; essentially, it occurs when your eyes don’t or can’t produce enough tears to keep the surface of your cornea wet. This can cause irritation from just blinking your eyes or moving them to see. Most commonly, dry eye syndrome presents itself with itching, redness, pain, headaches, and blurry vision. You may also experience bouts of excessive eye-watering, mucus, difficulty focusing, and a feeling of tiredness after watching, reading or viewing.

Dry Eyes In The Spring And Summer

While most people think that dry eyes are prevalent only in the winter, they can be just as bad in the summer. There are several reasons why your eyes may become dry, painful and itchy in the spring and summer. These reasons include:

  • Seasonal allergies
  • Exposure to too much sunlight
  • Working long hours at the computer
  • Dry air from air conditioning

Dry Eyes In The Fall And Winter

Dry eyes are most common in the winter months, this is usually due to a lack of humidity in the air. When the air is dry, your skin, hair, and eyes become dry as well and this can cause discomfort. While dry air is the most common reason for dry eye syndrome, there are several other factors that can harm your eyes as well including:

  • Snow blindness (sunlight refracting from banks of snow and patches of ice)
  • Forgetting to wear sunglasses during winter days (they’re not just for summer!)
  • Working long hours at the computer

Protecting Yourself From Dry Eyes

Now that you understand what dry eye syndrome is, how it presents, and where it can come from, it’s important to understand how to protect yourself against it. Fortunately, there are several ways to protect your eyes and reduce the risk of dry eye syndrome including:

  • Keep your home’s humidity level up
  • Stay hydrated
  • Eat nutrient and water-rich foods
  • Wear sunglasses (both summer and winter)
  • Try the 20/20/20 rule (every 20 minutes look at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds)
  • Schedule regular eye exams

Dry Eye Tips And Tricks

If you’re experiencing dry eye syndrome right now you can take try some very easy tips and tricks to help soothe, reduce, and treat your dry eyes including:

  • Give contact lenses a break
  • Use eye drops to manually hydrate your eyes
  • Wear sunglasses
  • Rest your eyes by staying in a cool, dark space
  • Turn on a humidifier
  • Stay constantly hydrated and drink more water
  • Call to schedule an eye exam if they become painful or difficult to soothe

Are you experiencing dry eyes and looking for relief?
Book your eye exam at your nearest Hakim Optical to get help!

Hakim Optical has provided Canadians with quality corrective lenses at a value that can’t be beat for over 55 years. Our knowledgeable staff and optometrists are here to help you find an eyewear solution tailored specifically to you.

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