Dry eyes is a common condition when your tears aren't able to
provide adequate lubrication for your eyes. It is estimated that
thirty percent of Canadians experience ocular symptoms associated with
dry eyes. Your tears transport oxygen and nutrients to the surface eye
cells and wash out waste products or foreign bodies.
To
maintain clear vision, it is important to keep the front of the eyes
moist and healthy. Your tears must have a correct balance of water,
oils and mucous to spread evenly across the surface of the eyes for a
significant period of time. When dry eye persists, the tear film may
evaporate very easily or become too oily, resulting in blurry vision
or eye fatigue.
Symptoms of dry eyes include:
Having an optometrist or an eye care professional perform a
comprehensive eye exam to measure the volume and quality of your tears
is usually the first step to treatment.
For people with
occasional or mild dry eye symptoms, standard over-the-counter eye drops
would be recommended. Other treatments may also include
anti-inflammatories, tear stimulating drugs, and surgery may be
considered. If the dry eyes are caused by medication or other underlying
condition, your doctor may adjust the prescription or refer you to the
most appropriate specialist.
Environmental and lifestyle
changes are also suggested to reduce stress on the eyes. Limiting screen
time exposure to encourage more blinking will help to moisten the
surface of the eyes.
There are a number of reasons why people experience dry eyes:
•
Age - people over the age of 50 are more common to
experience tear production decline
•
Medication - antihistamines, antidepressants,
decongestants, birth control pills and others can potentially cause
dry eyes
• Disease - autoimmune conditions
such as Diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and thyroid disorders are
common diseases that can be accompanied by dry eyes
•
Too much screen time - electronic devices emit
certain types of light which encourage less blinking, thus reducing
the moisture spread over the eye
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, we know health and lubrication of the
eyes are made possible by the internal health of other organs.
Dry eyes are often a sign of organ dysfunction that limit
the distribution of oxygen and nutrients in their areas of the body. A
common approach of treating dry eyes with Traditional Chinese Medicine
is to improve the function of the liver and the large intestine.
Traditional Chinese Medicine will adjust these internal imbalances to
help the body distribute nutrients to the body accordingly.
Screen time reduces the normal blinking rate by 60 per cent,
resulting in health issues like dry eye syndrome.
Acupuncture treatment for dry eyes will address the symptom and
also the internal imbalance. Through the acupuncture points, we are
able to increase oxygen and nutrient flow to the eyes, to stimulate
oil production to keep the eyes moistened. Most of the acupuncture
points are used on the hands and the feet. No Needles go into the eye.
