How to treat dry eyes and reduce dry eye syndrome symptoms

As a former contact lens wearer (I had laser eye surgery earlier this year), I suffered from dry eyes. Days spent staring at a computer, combined with contact lenses, often left my eyes feeling a little irritated (and even a tiny bit sleepy, if I had to be honest).

And it’s not only contact lens wearers who suffer from dry eye syndrome symptoms. It’s actually pretty common (and commonly not dealt with), so here are some tips to help you relieve, treat, and even prevent dry eyes…

1. Drink lots of water

Dehydration is one of the more common dry eye causes. The good news is, learning how to stay hydrated can help, as it means that your eyes will have the moisture they need to stay lubricated. Aim to drink about 8-10 glasses of water a day for best results.

2. Utilise the power of heat

Heat can help stimulate your glands to produce more oil, meaning your natural tears won’t evaporate as quickly. It can also help unblock your tear ducts, so that you can produce more tears to lubricate your eyes. Try using a warm wash cloth over your eyes for about 10 minutes to relieve dry eye symptoms – it feels like a hot water bottle on your eyes!

RELATED: Do you get regular eye checks?

3. Don’t be afraid to use drops

Dry eye drops (or artificial tears as they’re sometimes called) are a brilliant way to help lubricate your eyes when in need. Just be aware of what you’re buying, as not all eye drops are formulated to treat dry eyes (some are designed to reduce redness). Ask your pharmacist or doctor which ones may be the best ones for you.

4) Take vitamins

Flaxseed oil and fish oil contain important fatty acids that can help prevent and treat dry eyes and those pesky symptoms of burning, itching, redness, and stinging. bh recommends Swisse Ultiboost Odourless High Strength Wild Fish Oil and Blackmores Odourless Fish Oil Mini Caps.

RELATED: Tips for healthy eyes and ears

5) Blink!

It may sound a little ridiculous, but you’d be surprised how often you actually forget to blink. If you’re concentrating on something for a long time (like a book, the TV or your computer), you’re not blinking as much as you should, meaning that you aren’t lubricating your eyes. So make sure you keep an…err…eye on your blinking habits.

Do you suffer from dry eyes? How do you treat dry eye symptoms?

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