Dry Eye During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Dry Eye
With the COVID-19 pandemic, we have increased the amount of time we spent on our portable device screens. On average, a normal person blinks about 7-8x times less when looking at screens compared to when not viewing a screen. The decreased blink rate increases the risk of dry eye problems occurring in a patient.
While some people are more predisposed to having dry eye problems than others, dry eye has increased as a problem across the world for most individuals during the pandemic.
Dry Eye Symptoms & Causes
Dry eyes can cause a variety of symptoms. For most individuals, dry eye might come across as asymptomatic. However, for some the dry eye symptoms can be more severe and can range from tearing, foreign body sensation, redness, and burning.
Dry eye can be caused by a multitude of causes ranging from systemic causes, increased screen time, and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD), (to name a few).
If you have questions regarding your dry eye symptoms or are curious regarding the cause of your dry eyes, please schedule an appointment with our qualified Bellevue Eye Specialists doctors for a Dry Eye Consult.
Dry Eye Treatment & Risks
Dry Eye Treatment can range depending on the patient’s symptoms and individual case-to-case basis. The best way to determine the best dry eye treatment for you is to schedule an eye appointment with our talented doctors.
Dry Eye Treatment can range from using artificial tears such as Systane, Refreshe, Blink, etc. a few times a day. Did you know that different artificial tear brands are better for different individuals? Each artificial tear brand has different content. Certain artificial tears are better which depends on the cause of your dry eye.
Warm compresses have also been proven in numerous studies to help with symptomatic dry eye. For more severe cases, there are more effective treatments out there. Some examples include stronger prescription eye drops or high heat/light procedures that can be done by a qualified ophthalmologist or optometrist.
To determine the best treatment, please schedule an appointment with our doctors at Bellevue Eye Specialists. Remember that dry eye treatment is done by an individual case-to-case basis. Therefore, to get the best dry eye treatment, you must get a professional opinion first.
