Dry eyes...how did it become a terminal illness?

How many times have you watched "Kuaisan"? I believe many of you have already watched this drama twice or three times~

The TV series "Kuang Da" can be said to be the hit drama at the beginning of 2023. The positive characters' belief and persistence in the police career are touching, and the tortuous life paths of the villains also make us sigh.

Although this drama is a realistic anti-gang drama, it is also full of comedy moments. For example, when the villain Gao Qiqiang was persuading his wife to go home, he used the reason that he had a terminal illness, and this terminal illness turned out to be "dry eyes", which was really laughable.

Source: Screenshots from the show

However, this statement is actually not wrong. Dry eye syndrome is really a "terminal illness"!

Source: Screenshots from the show

1

What is dry eye

Dry eye is a series of ocular surface diseases caused by abnormal tear quality and dynamics due to various factors, leading to tear film instability or environmental imbalance on the ocular surface, accompanied by eye discomfort or tissue lesions.

Among them, the tear film is a thin liquid film formed by tears evenly distributed on the surface of the eyeball. Its thickness is very small, only one twentieth to one tenth of the diameter of a hair.

The main symptoms of dry eyes include dry eyes, tears, foreign body sensation, burning sensation, redness, itching, a small amount of secretions, photophobia, blurred vision, etc. In severe cases, vision loss and corneal lesions may also occur.

Many people experience dry eyes, but not all dry eyes mean dry eye syndrome. It may also be caused by other diseases.

For example, allergic conjunctivitis can also cause dry eyes, itching, redness, and a small amount of secretions, but this treatment should start from the allergy aspect rather than treating dry eyes.

Source: CCTV News Screenshot 2

Treatment and prevention of dry eyes

Why do some people suffer from dry eyes and others do not? There are several main reasons:

One is environmental factors.

For example, in an air-conditioned room or in a dry environment with poor air circulation, the humidity is low, the loss of water from the eye surface is accelerated, the tear film becomes thinner, and dry eyes occur. In areas with severe haze, there are more suspended particles in the ambient air, which can easily damage the cornea and other epithelial cells of the eye, and also cause dry eyes.

The second is watching electronic screens for a long time.

When we are looking at electronic products such as mobile phones and computers, our attention is drawn, the number of eye blinks decreases, the tear film is exposed to the air for a long time, and evaporates faster; the eye blinks incompletely, the tear film is not evenly distributed, and the stability is reduced. At the same time, electronic products will release some blue light, causing damage to the ocular surface. In summary, watching electronic products for a long time will cause dry eyes.

Source: pixabay

The third is bad sleeping habits.

Nowadays, many people are used to staying up late to watch their phones or do other activities. The eyes do not get enough rest, which can easily cause dry eyes.

Fourth, contact lenses are not worn properly.

Compared with common frame glasses, contact lenses are more convenient and comfortable to wear, but wearing contact lenses for too long can cause corneal hypoxia. At the same time, as the contact lenses lose moisture, they will also absorb moisture from the ocular surface, causing the tear film to become thinner and the eyes to become dry.

Source: pixabay

Fifth, the use of drugs.

In the TV series "Kuang Da", Gao Qiqiang suffers from dry eyes and often uses eye drops to relieve the symptoms. However, it is recommended to consult a doctor about the use of medication for dry eyes. Using it at will can aggravate the dry eyes.

For example, many ingredients contained in many eye drops on the Internet, such as chlorpheniramine and tetrahydrozoline hydrochloride, are prescription drugs. They can temporarily constrict blood vessels to eliminate redness of the eyes, but long-term use will cause dependence and is more likely to cause dry eyes.

Source: A shopping platform

If you need to use eye drops to moisten your eyes, you can choose artificial tears .

In addition, if female friends do not clean their eyes thoroughly after applying eye makeup, it is easy to cause dry eyes; older people or those who have undergone eye surgery are also prone to dry eyes.

In fact, the most important thing to prevent or relieve dry eyes is to develop good eye habits. For example, blink more often, especially when looking at electronic products. It is recommended to blink 4-6 times per minute . Avoid excessive eye use when the light is insufficient, and avoid playing with your phone with the lights off at night.

Also, pay attention to eye cleanliness and adequate rest, try to get 7-8 hours of sleep a day, and give your eyes time to fully recover. Especially for children who are in the age development stage, according to the requirements of the "Notice of the General Office of the Ministry of Education on Further Strengthening the Sleep Management of Primary and Secondary School Students", the recommended sleep time for primary school students is 10 hours a day, and the recommended sleep time for junior high school students is 9 hours a day.

If dry eye syndrome is diagnosed and the symptoms are not relieved or even worsen after adjusting eye habits, you need to see an ophthalmologist promptly. Current treatments for dry eye syndrome mainly include medication and surgery. Surgical treatments include lacrimal duct embolism and lacrimal punctum closure.

Source: pixabay

The famous painter Leonardo da Vinci once said that eyes are the windows to the soul. They are an important window for us to connect with the world, so we must take good care of them.