There are few things more annoying and aggravating than dealing with dry eyes all of the time. Your eyes just don’t work the way they are supposed to, you feel irritated around-the-clock, and even just spending a little bit of time out in direct sunlight – or sitting underneath the harsh fluorescent lights of most offices – becomes a chore.

On top of that, it can be really challenging to properly diagnose why you are dealing with dry eyes in the first place. And that means it’s going to be even more challenging to effectively treat and get rid of your dry eyes once and for all.

Check out the details in this quick guide and you’ll know exactly when you’re dealing with dry eyes, why you’re dealing with dry eyes, and what you can do to banish dry eyes from your life once and for all.

Signs of Dry Eyes

It’s going to be pretty simple and straightforward to tell that you are dealing with dry eye situations, mostly because you’re going to feel that your eyes are dry long before you check them out in the mirror and noticed the redness that has inevitably set in.

You might also notice some blurriness, sensitivity to natural and florescent light, irritation whenever the wind blows, and fatigue that makes you just want to shut your eyes for the rest of the day – even if you just woke up!

Combine all of that with an uncomfortable, scratchy sensation and excessive tearing that can make it challenging to see and you’re talking about a nightmare situation here.

Causes of Dry Eyes

There are quite a few different common causes of dry eye that you’ll want to be on the lookout for, but the most commonly reported causes of dry eye include:

  • Using digital devices with backlights for extended amounts of time
  • Living or working in an environment that has very little humidity
  • Prolonged wearing of contact lenses (especially wearing them overnight)
  • Allergies to drugs, pollen, and other dirt, dust, and debris particles

… And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

Treatment of Dry Eyes

When it comes to treating the dry eyes that you are dealing with, effective management is the name of the game. You want to be able to get back in the saddle ASAP without any real negative drawbacks.

The first thing you want to do is check to see if you are taking any medications or if you’ve made any recent changes to your diet that may cause dry eyes. From there, you’ll want to look into the pollen and allergen index in the Ottawa/Orleans area, just to be sure that we aren’t talking about an environmental issue here.

As always it’s a good idea to pop your contact lenses out before you go to bed and flush your eyes with “artificial tears” to lubricate the surface of your eyes if they are red and itchy. You may also want to hydrate yourself by drinking more liquid or sleep with a humidifier on if you’re in a particularly dry area.

All of these things can help you banish dry eyes once and for all!