#174: Myth #3: There's NOTHING I can do to Treat my Dry Eyes
This is week three of the 3 myths of dry eye disease. If you've missed the other 2 myths, be sure to check out the other blogs: Myth 1 and Myth 2.
Myth#3: There's nothing I can do to treat my dry eye disease.
If you've been Keeping up with the other myths, then you already know that this myth is wrong. There's so many things you can do to treat dry eyes, and some of them are very new. If you've been following me for a while, then you know that I always talk about the four parts to treat dry eye, which is E Y E S. The EYES method gives four pillars of dry eye disease treatment.
Pillar #1) EYES
Step #1 is to treat your eyes. I like to talk about 4-simple steps to treat your dry eyes:
- Hydrate with a Preservative-free Artificial tear - get the guide here
- Harmonize with a lid and lash cleanser
- Heat the lids with a warm compress, releasing the oils into the tear film
- Heal the eyes using an anti-inflammatory nutritional supplement containing Omega 3 Fatty Acids, like HydroEye
Pillar #2) YOUR HEALTH
In this step, take a deep dive into YOUR HEALTH by examining:
Systemic diseases: These could be autoimmune diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid, or even allergies. All of these diseases can affect your dry eyes based on the disease itself, which could decrease or alter tear production.
Medications: Medicine you take to control systemic diseases can also reduce or alter tear production. The medications that you're taking, whether they're prescribed or over the counter can all affect dry eye.
Diet: The amount of nutrients you're putting into your body. Omega3 fatty acids are important for the quality of your tear production. The amount of water that you're drinking to keep your body and your eyes hydrated is also important.
Sleep: How many hours of sleep are you getting? Adults need seven to nine hours, or your body doesn't have the time to repair and restore itself.
Pillar #3) ENVIRONMENT
There are 2 parts to this environment discussion. Look at the environment right around your eyes. Consider the things you are putting in, on and around your eyes with respect to contact lens, wear and eye makeup.
I'm always talking about my favorite eye makeup removers. There are several great eye makeup removers for sensitive eyes. Check out the Guide to Makeup Removers here.
The second environment you need to consider is the one that surrounds us. This could be different depending on the season of the year. You'll need to take different precautions to protect your dry eyes from the outdoor elements depending on whether it is winter, spring, summer, or fall. Whether it is the lack of humidity, allergens, wind, dirt, dust, or pollution, all of these will affect the front surface of your eyes.
Also, the most important indoor environment to consider is your digital environment. The fact that you're reading this on a phone, tablet, or computer right now has an effect on your eyes. If you want to get started with protecting your eyes from the effects of your digital environment, download the Eye Strain Relief Guide here.
Pillar #4) SEE THE DOCTOR
So the fourth stage of your dry eye relief treatment is to see the doctor. You can go through the first three steps and get a lot of relief by changing things in your lifestyle. But, often your will also need to see the doctor.
You may need to get prescription medications. Check out this blog to learn about your prescription medication options. Or, you may need an in office procedure to help heal the front surface of our eyes. Check out this blog to learn more about the procedures.
Anytime you're having an eye problem, please see a licensed healthcare professional. Doing a google search to help your symptoms or reading a blog to dive a little deeper, is still not sufficient. An eye doctor can help guide your treatment.
CONCLUSION:
The EYES method is a comprehensive treatment plan for your dry eye relief. You need to take into consideration your eyes, health, environment, and seeing a doctor to get complete relief. If you'd like to know more about the EYES method, I have something perfect for you. You can learn all about how to take a deeper dive into the EYES method and heal your dry eyes. Watch the video here.
