It’s completely normal for eyes to become dry with age. Nearly every person over 50 experiences dry eye symptoms at some point. It has been proven that aging significantly increases your risk of dry eye! Yes, the more birthdays we have, the more likely we are to get dry eyes due to hormonal changes as we get older. Lacrimal gland production of tears naturally decreases with age as well.

A range of problems can arise as a result of the natural aging process, with both the quality and quantity of your tears declining and getting worse as time passes. Additionally, hormonal changes such as thyroid eye disease or autoimmune conditions like Lupus can cause these symptoms.

Dry eye disease can also be caused by hormonal changes such as pregnancy, menopause (affecting women over 50 years of age), postmenopausal estrogen treatment, and androgen deficiency.

Take advantage of your golden years without letting your eyes stop you! By following an effective treatment plan, you can increase your comfort and improve your vision, allowing you to fully enjoy your favorite activities.

Dry eyes are caused by an imbalance between tear production and drainage. Insufficient tears or tears of poor quality can cause your eyes to become dry.

The reliance on digital devices such as tablets, computers, phones and televisions has propelled a modern world where countless hours are spent in front of digital screens. This has caused our blinking efficiency to suffer. As a result of forgetting to blink, our eyelid oil glands become clogged. Degeneration and dysfunction of the meibomian glands can occur in very young children and toddlers due to their exposure to using electronic devices more frequently at younger ages. Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) occurs when the glands become clogged with thick secretions. Our eyes become chronically obstructive with MGD when they reach this level, so the oil cannot reach the surface of the eye, resulting in a quicker evaporation of tears. During times of intense focus, we forget to blink. In the presence of low humidity indoors, our eyes can become dry. YouTube gamers of all ages begin to suffer from dryness at a very young age.

In addition to providing lubrication, tears also protect your eyes from infections, help flush away foreign matter, and keep them both smooth, clear, and moisturized.

Overuse of digital screens, dehydration, sleep deprivation, improper nutrition. Various environmental factors, such as smoke from cigarettes, vaping, marijuana, wind and dry climates can have an effect on tear evaporation, resulting in dry eye symptoms. Another contributing factor to dry eye symptoms is the failure to blink regularly caused by using technology devices like a computer screen for long periods of time.

Your physician may prescribe medications with side effects like dry eye or that may cause the development of dry eye disease. This is actually extremely common. Among them are medications for anxiety, depression, ADD, ADHD, hypertension, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and Parkinson’s.

We now live in a world where we spend countless hours on computer screens, smartphones, tablets and televisions. Our blink performance is greatly affected when we are so focused. It is simply a matter of forgetting to blink that eventually clogs up our oil glands on our eyelids. As children and young adults become more exposed at younger ages, meibomian gland dysfunction and degeneration begin to occur. Meibomian gland dysfunction is characterized by thick secretions clogging up or blocking the glands.

Chronic obstructive MGD stops oil from reaching the surface of the eye, thus leading to a quicker evaporation of tears when our eyes reach this point. In our focus, we often forget to blink. The low humidity indoors means our eyes may dry out. Despite their age, professional gamers all over the world experience dryness at an early age.

Women are more likely to develop dry eye disease due to hormonal changes brought upon by pregnancy, menopause and the use of oral contraceptives and hormone replacement oral medications.

What is that red bump, sort of like a pimple, that forms on the outside edge of the eyelid? It is probably a stye. On this episode of OCuTALK™, Jennifer Yalldo, O.D. will be explaining to us what styes are, what causes them, and possible treatment options.

Hydrate and drink water throughout your day. Limit caffeine intake to 1-2 cups only. This will help your eyes stay moist and maintains your overall health. Its great to flush your body of toxins.

Add a Humidifier to your furnace or in your work space. This increases moisture in your environment which is not only beneficial for your eyes but even more so for your skin and respiratory system.

Reducing screen time! Yes, I said it. Ok, at least take breaks from your digital devices more frequently throughout your day. Watching television and using the computer has been linked to reduced blinking, which can cause your eyes to feel dry, irritated, gritty and lead to other dry eye symptoms.