If your eyes itch, feel gritty or water excessively, you may have dry eye
What might increase your risk of dry eye?
Age – tear production tends to decline as you get older. In some regions of Australia more than half the population aged 50 years and over experience at least one symptom.2
Gender – dry eyes can be caused by hormonal changes and women are around twice as likely to develop dry eye disease compared to men.1
Environmental factors – people can experience dry eye in certain situations, such as screen use, mask-wearing, humidity, air-conditioning or smoky environments.
Contact lenses – people wearing contact lenses are up to four times more likely than non-contact lens wearers to develop dry eyes.1
Medications – some common medicines can lead to decreased tear production (e.g. antihistamines, decongestants, and others).
Common symptoms of Dry Eye disease
Different types of dry eye
Dependent on which layer of the tear film is affected, you may experience different types of dry eye:
Aqueous-Deficient Dry Eye – when your eyes don’t make enough tears
Evaporative Dry Eye – when your tears evaporate and dry up too quickly, often because the oily layer isn’t working properly.
... Or mixed is when you have a combination of both types
CATIONORM® treats all types of dry eye – evaporative, aqueous-deficient and mixed.
Tips to help manage dry eye
Limit your screen time. Take regular breaks from reading, computer use, and watching TV to rest your eyes.
Remember to blink frequently.
Wear wrap-around sunglasses when outside in windy, dusty conditions.
Avoid cigarette and other smoke.
Use a humidifier to keep the air in your home from getting too dry.
Where possible, avoid the direct draught from air conditioning and fans.
Increase the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. Found naturally in foods like oily fish and available as supplements.
A warm compress over your eyes for 5 minutes helps unblock oil glands and increase lipid supply to your tear film.