#172: Myth #1 - Dry Eye symptoms will go away on their own

Today, I'm going to talk to you about the first of three myths about dry eye disease. Stay tuned over the coming weeks for the other two myths.

Myth #1:

Dry Eye Disease symptoms will just go away on their own.

Truth:

Dry eye is a disease. It's called dry eye disease (DED).  And, it's chronic and progressive just like other disease that you might have, like diabetes or high blood pressure.

DED is chronic. You will need to treat it for a lifetime. It doesn't just go away on its own. So it needs to be treated long term. It's best to make simple shifts to your lifestyle to treat it. If you make your treatment regimen a part of your daily care routine (like you do for brushing your teeth) it is easy to do it over your lifetime. 

Check out the 4-simple steps of daily dry eye care here.  This is easy to implement into any daily routine to keep you feeling your best.

 Another reason why dry eye disease doesn't go away on its own is that it can also be linked to other systemic diseases that you may already be treated for.  Dry eye disease is linked to autoimmune diseases (like Rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus, and Sjogren's Disease), diabetes, allergy, and thyroid disease.

Those are the top diseases that are linked to dry eye disease, but don't forget that medications that you may be taking for other diseases, like high blood pressure or even OTC allergy medications, may also be drying out your eyes. Some medications cause you to produce less tears, which can exacerbate your dry eye and lead to drier eyes over the long term.

Dry eye disease can be affected significantly by your lifestyle. Lifestyle habits that can significantly affect your dry eye disease include:

• How many hours you sleep
• Your diet - how much Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids to you intake
• How much water you're drinking
• Eye wear makeup wear and removal
• Contact lenses wear and care
• Digital device use
• Environmental seasons of the year

CONCLUSION

Dry Eye Disease is chronic and progressive.  It is a true disease just like high blood pressure and diabetes.  Therefore, your eyes must be cared for on a regular basis.  There are tons of lifestyle factors that could be contributing to your dry eye disease.

Learn more about the 4 pillars to dry eye care to get the dry eye relief you deserve.  This video walks you thru the most important parts of a complete dry eye treatment plan.  And, it shares with you the best way to get started building your own customized treatment plan. 

I can't wait to talk with you about the other 2 Dry Eye Myths, coming soon...

And remember, if you learn to take care of your eyes today, your #VISION will last you a lifetime.