As the weather gets colder, the frequency of operating indoor heating is bound to increase. During this period, the atmosphere becomes dry and the eyes can be easily dry. For modern people who often see smartphones or PCs, dry environments can lead to dry eyes, so be careful.
If dry eyes make your eyes uncomfortable, you will often use artificial tears to relieve stiffness. However, this is only a temporary measure that does not solve the underlying cause. It would be easier to understand if you first look at the cause of dry eyes syndrome.
Tears act as lubricants in our eyes, and dry eyes occur when these tears are insufficient or excessively evaporated. In addition to the most common symptoms of dry and stiff eyes, the foreign sensation or vision of the eyes may be blurred, dim, and stinging pain may occur.
However, because it is simply an uncomfortable symptom, it is often neglected rather than actively treated. However, most dry eyes are inflammatory diseases caused by inflammation of the eyelids. In addition to environmental factors such as pollen and fine dust during the change of seasons, using electronic devices for a long time or wearing contact lenses may be the cause.
In particular, during dry winds like these days, the immunity of the eyes decreases and the ability to protect oneself from external substances decreases, making it easy to be exposed to germs. If the infection source enters the conjunctiva inside the eyelid and causes inflammation of the mybom spring gland, which is responsible for the formation of a fat layer of tears, the function of preventing the evaporation of tears will inevitably decrease.
Due to the dryness of the eye surface, tears cannot protect the eyes and are prone to inflammation, and the inflammation that occurs at this time reduces the quality of the tears and creates a vicious cycle that makes the eyes dry again.
Thus, we have to take care of our eyes by decreasing the on-screen time and letting our eyes have a plentiful amount of rest. Eyedrops are also helpful for keeping our eyes moisturized.
Writer: Soyun Lee
(Picture from Unsplash)
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