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Dry eyes are a common complaint for older patients, but they can affect anyone at one time or another. While some causes are physiological, others are environmental and can be solved with some of the simple changes listed below by the Orlando LASIK eye surgery team at Magruder Laser Vision.

  • Thanks to circulating air in the cabin, air travel often brings on dry eyes. Be sure to hydrate before you board a plane, and if possible, bring artificial tears in your carry-on bag. If your ophthalmologist has already diagnosed you with dry eyes, a more effective eye drop than you normally use may be necessary! Keep in mind that contacts dry out more easily than the eye, so switch to glasses when traveling by air.

  • While Florida is humid, your house often isn’t. Invest in a humidifier if you find your air is dry, which often occurs when the heater is on during the wintertime.

  • Some medications tend to dry eyes, so read the labels and precautions to all your medications to determine if this is a side effect. Consult your ophthalmologist if any of your medications interfere with your vision.

  • Pay attention to eye relief packaging. While some drops simply remove redness, they are not soothing and do not replenish tears. Look for “artificial tears” rather than “eye drops.” Artificial tears are thicker and coat the eye to relieve itchiness while helping maintain the amount of tears.

  • Screen time is more prevalent nowadays, and a good rule of thumb is for every 20 minutes of screen time, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds. And be sure to blink frequently! The intensity of our gaze increases with screen viewing, and many people fail to realize they have slowed the rate of blinking, which naturally bathes the eye in much-needed tears.

  • If you wear contacts, you have likely encountered a situation where you attempt to remove your contacts only to find they have become a second skin to your eyeball. Contacts are quite adept at drying eyes. Be sure to remove your contacts every night, or refrain from wearing them if your eyes are excessively dry. Even better, make an appointment for a complimentary LASIK consultation at Magruder Laser Vision and throw your contacts away!

With a few environmental changes, you may find your dry eyes are a thing of the past. If your problems happen to be physical, call Magruder Laser Vision at 407-843-5665 to determine if Orlando LASIK eye surgery will benefit your condition.