The end of winter is here, and most people are getting ready to enjoy the new season. However, you may be one of the many who feel a certain sense of worry as spring approaches.
For millions of people, spring spells out an increase in itchy, red eyes and other unpleasant symptoms that come with dry eyes. Take action today with these tips to give yourself an edge against dry eye.
Keep reading to learn five tips to prevent dry eye from ruining your spring!
1. Don’t Touch Your Face
Your hands carry all kinds of potential irritants and allergens. Pollen is a particularly potent allergen during springtime, so you should be extra vigilant against bringing your hands near your eyes.
It is never a good idea to rub your eyes, even if they are itchy and dry. It won’t help improve your symptoms in the long term and can cause increased irritation.
You feel a sense of relief when doing this because you are forcefully stimulating tears into forming. Instead of resorting to eye rubbing, try some of these methods to help improve your symptoms:
2. Use Eye Drops Correctly
Lubricating eye drops are a great source of dry eye relief. Ensuring you have the proper technique when using lubricating eye drops is essential.
You will want to make sure you are not reintroducing any of the bacteria or irritants you are trying to flush out. Here are a few bonus tips for putting in eye drops:
- Wash your hands prior to instilling eye drops
- Don’t touch the uncovered applicator tip at any point
- Pull down your lower eyelid with your other hand to create a pocket to catch the drops
- Only apply one drop at a time to prevent overflow
If you experience spring allergies, you can purchase eye drops that include antihistamines to block out your allergies at the source. These drops may help alleviate the eye itching caused by allergies.
3. Stay Hydrated
Spring is a fantastic time of year to get outdoors and exercise. However, it is essential to bring a bottle of water with you.
Your tears are primarily made up of water, so if your throat is dry, there is a good chance your eyes will be too. Adequate hydration is essential for healthy eyes.
4. Pay Attention to Pollen Counts
You can keep track of pollen counts via your local weather website. Try to stay indoors when the counts are high, or you could exacerbate your dry eye symptoms with a large influx of allergy symptoms.
You should also keep windows closed, and surfaces wiped down to prevent pollen from accumulating in your home. An air purifier is a great gadget to reduce airborne particulates in your home.
5. If The Problem Persists, Get Professional Help
It’s not too late to save your spring. Schedule an appointment with your eye doctor to find out what is causing your dry eye symptoms.
Whether it’s habitual, environmental, dietary, or physical, finding the underlying cause of your symptoms is the first step in treating dry eye. Your eye doctor will work with you to find a treatment plan to improve your symptoms.
Do you want to learn more about how you can improve your dry eye symptoms this spring? Schedule an appointment at Westlake Eye Specialists in Austin, TX, today!
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