July is Dry Eye Awareness Month, and it is the perfect time to address a common, yet often overlooked, condition: dry eye disease. Foreign sensations, itching, burning, and watery eyes may be some of the symptoms you have experienced. Well, you are not alone. Over 6 million Canadians struggle with dry eyes daily. Dry eye symptoms are bothersome, frustrating, and may even lower your quality of life. But there is hope.
We are about to walk you through comprehensive dry eye care insights and tips to help you Feel the Difference!
Step 1: Prioritize Lid Care and Hygiene
Managing dry eye starts with prioritizing lid care and hygiene, which one may often neglect. Our eyelids play a crucial role in maintaining overall eye health. Glands along the eyelids produce oils that act as a protective layer over the tears, preventing excessive tear evaporation. [1] Practising proper lid hygiene helps to maintain the glands in good health and removes any debris or dust that can irritate the eyes and the tear film!
How to Practice Good Lid Hygiene:
Use a soap-free lid cleaning suspension, like CALMO® Lid Care. Soaps in eyelid hygiene products can strip away the natural oil in the tear film, causing dry eye symptoms such as stinging and burning. [2] Soap-free, feel-good CALMO® Lid Care, a liposomal suspension, will renourish the tear film while effectively cleaning the eyelids!
Mechanical cleaning with soap-free NACLINO™ lid wipes is another convenient first step to conducting proper lid hygiene. Hypoallergenic, sterile, and individually wrapped NACLINO™ saline-only Lid Wipes can help in promoting a routine for healthy eyelids and margins!
Step 2: Lubricate Your Eyes
After ensuring your eyelids are clean, you need to keep your eyes moist. Dry eye may occur when your eyes do not produce enough tears or tears evaporate too quickly, so you need to supplement the lack of moisture. Use lubricating eye drops as an essential part of any dry eye care routine! [3]
Choosing the Right Lubricating Eye Drops:
Several eye drops are available on the market, and we know you are keen on choosing the right one. Look no further. Here is what you are searching for:
Preservative-free and phosphate-free drops are a must. Long-term use of preserved drops can irritate the eyes and aggravate dry eye symptoms instead of providing relief. [4] Look for active ingredients such as sodium hyaluronate for viscous, long-lasting lubrication with fewer daily applications. If you are suffering from allergies or inflammatory symptoms, ectoine provides relief – a shield-like barrier over the tear film to prevent contact with allergens and inflammatory responses!
So, which eye drop should you use? HYLO® family of lubricating eye drops are preservative-free and phosphate-free, but also contain high-quality sodium hyaluronate. With innovative HYLO® bottle technology, HYLO® family dispenses sterile drops, one drop at a time. Safe, convenient, and effective, proven in thousands of Canadian dry eye sufferers! Most of the HYLO® family members can also be used while wearing soft and hard contact lenses.
Step 3: Lock in Moisture with Eye Spray
Now, you want to make sure that moisture in your eyes doesn’t evaporate rapidly. You want to retain it, so you need to lock in the moisture with a liposomal eye spray.
Using Eye Spray Effectively:
The good thing about CALMO® Eye Spray is that it’s really easy to use. Close your eyes and spray on them from a distance of about 10-20cm. Blink a couple of times and voilà! The liposomal suspension (that closely resembles the natural lipids in your eyes) will spread across the eyelids and over the tear film, helping prevent excessive tear evaporation.
Whether you are wearing make-up or soft and hard contact lenses, CALMO® Eye Spray can be used at any time throughout the day and night.
Step 4: Apply Eye Ointment at Night
Waking up at night to apply eye drops or eye spray due to severe symptoms is not a pleasant experience. For those with more severe dry eye symptoms, OCUNOX® is available for nighttime protection of the tear film. Apply OCUNOX® to gently moisturize your eyes, stabilize the tear film and prevent tears from evaporating while you sleep.
Nighttime Ointment Application:
The trick is to apply a small amount, about the size of a rice grain, before bed. Gently place inside the lower eyelid. OCUNOX®’s thick ointment formulation protects and hydrates your eyes overnight, so they don’t feel irritated the next morning.
You may experience temporary blurriness when you use OCUNOX®. Don’t need to apply too much, just a little amount will do the job.
Additional Tips for Managing Dry Eye:
Beyond these core tips, incorporating some lifestyle changes can significantly improve your eye health and comfort:
Diet: Drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated, which is essential for maintaining a healthy tear film. [5]
Sleep: A daily dose of quality sleep is beneficial for your tear film! Proper rest allows your body to repair and regenerate, including the delicate tissues of your eyes. [6]
Environment: Dry weather or air-conditioned environments can cause dry eyes. Use a humidifier in your home to add moisture to the air and reduce tear evaporation. Wearing sunglasses or protective eyewear outdoors can also shield your eyes from wind, dust, and UV rays, which could induce dry eye symptoms. [5, 7]
Managing dry eye symptoms requires a holistic approach. Practising good hygiene, using the right treatments, and adjusting your lifestyle all contribute to your better eye health. By following these dry eye care tips and insights, you may Feel the Difference. Let’s make this Dry Eye Awareness Month a new turning point in your eye health journey.
Should you have any concerns about your eye health, please consult with your eye health professional for medical assistance.
CandorVision™ – Your eyes are everything!
References
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Eberhardt M, Rammohan G. Blepharitis. [Updated 2023 Jan 23]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459305
Craig JP, Nelson JD, Azar DT, Belmonte C, Bron AJ, Chauhan SK, de Paiva CS, Gomes JAP, Hammitt KM, Jones L, Nichols JJ, Nichols KK, Novack GD, Stapleton FJ, Willcox MDP, Wolffsohn JS, Sullivan DA. TFOS DEWS II Report Executive Summary. Ocul Surf. 2017 Oct;15(4):802-812. doi: 10.1016/j.jtos.2017.08.003. Epub 2017 Aug 8. PMID: 28797892.
Jaenen N, Baudouin C, Pouliquen P, Manni G, Figueiredo A, Zeyen T. Ocular symptoms and signs with preserved and preservative-free glaucoma medications. Eur J Ophthalmol. 2007 May-Jun;17(3):341-9. doi: 10.1177/112067210701700311. PMID: 17534814.
Canadian Association of Optometrists. How to Avoid Dry Eyes [Internet]. Canadian Association of Optometrists; [cited 2024 Jul 11]. Available from: https://opto.ca/eye-health-library/how-avoid-dry-eyes.
Li A, Zhang X, Guo Y, Wang J, Hao Y, Gu Y, Jie Y. The Association Between Dry Eye and Sleep Disorders: The Evidence and Possible Mechanisms. Nat Sci Sleep. 2022 Dec 15;14:2203-2212. doi: 10.2147/NSS.S378751. PMID: 36545475; PMCID: PMC9762265.
American Optometric Association (AOA). Dry eye [Internet]. American Optometric Association; [cited 2024 Jul 17]. Available from: https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-and-vision-conditions/dry-eye?sso=y.
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