At-Home Remedies for Dry Eye

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One of the most ironic things about dry eye is that it can actually cause your eyes to tear excessively. Dry eye is a condition that is caused when the tear ducts are clogged, which can lead to symptoms like excessive tearing or it can leave your eyes feeling dried out and dehydrated. Although we always encourage patients with dry eye to come into our office for treatment, there may be a few things that you can do from home to find some temporary relief.

Watch the Cigarette Smoke

Smoking isn’t just bad for your lungs and heart, but it’s bad for your vision as well. If you smoke or live with someone who smokes, it may be the cause of your dry eye. Smoke is notorious for drying eyes out and making them feel irritated. Try to either quit smoking or smoke somewhere with a lot of ventilation like outside.

Use Warm Compresses

Sometimes, you can help to temporarily lear out your clogged tear ducts with a little bit of warm water and a washcloth. All you have to do is take a washcloth, wet it with warm water, and then gently place it over your eyes. The warm, wet water should help to clear out your tear ducts and help you see better.

Use Eye Drops

Another thing you can do at home is to use some over-the-counter eye drops. Eye Drops that are created for dry eye will help to create a lubricating barrier on your eyes, which will lock in moisture and help alleviate your symptoms. All you have to do is apply one drop on the inside of each eye, and it should spread to the rest of your eye and coat it.

Get a Humidifier

Even though the air here in Hawaii is fairly humid, if you still have dry eye, you may want to get a humidifier. The wetter the air is, the more it will soothe your eyes and make them feel comfortable.

Contact our office to learn more about dry eye treatments. Call us today 808.955.3937.

Eye Treatment Honolulu, HI

Are Dry Eyes Making Your Vision Worse?

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If you have a prescription to wear contact lenses but never wear them because they are irritating, fall out, and make your eyes red, then the issue may not be with your contacts but rather with your eyes themselves. Dry eye is a very common condition that can cause excessive tearing, dry, itchy, red eyes. And, it can also make it feel impossible to wear contacts all day long. To help lubricate and moisturize your eyes, we have a few suggestions for you.

Schedule an Eye  Exam

First things first, schedule an eye exam with Dr. Jeffrey Maehara to make sure that you do in fact have dry eye, and that your symptoms aren’t indicative of another eye condition. During your eye exam, Dr. Maehara will also be able to give you some helpful tips to use at home or may recommend some prescription eye drops.

Use Gel Drops Every Night

You can use gel drops both morning and night, but if you are a contact lens wearer, try wearing them at night to help coat your eyes and lubricate them while you sleep; that way when you wake up they will feel moisturized, and your contacts will hopefully stay in better.

Use Drops throughout the Day

Another thing you can do to make sure that your eyes stay lubricated and that your contacts stay in is to use gel drops or liquid tears throughout the day; this extra layer of protection is a great way to make sure that you stay as comfortable as possible.

Take Your Lenses out At Night

If you have dry eye, one of the worst things you can do is sleep with your contact lenses in because they will dry your eyes out even more. Make sure that no matter how tired you are that you go to the bathroom and take them out.

Having dry eyes can be a real pain in the you-know-what but dry eyes and contact lenses, are that much more uncomfortable. To learn more about dry eyes and how to combat them, schedule an eye exam with Dr. Jeffrey Maehara at our Honolulu or Waipahu office today and call us at 808.955.3937.