Dry eyes
If so, you might suffer from a condition known as Dry Eye. Dry Eye can be caused by many things ranging from air conditioning to staring at your computer screen for too long. Click on the eyeball you relate to the most.
Check if you have dry eyes
You may have dry eyes if your eyes are:
- itchy
- sore
- gritty
- red
- blurry
- sensitive to light
- more watery than normal
Causes of dry eyes
You can get dry eyes if you do not make enough tears or your tears dry up quickly.
You may be more likely to get dry eyes if:
- you're over the age of 50
- you wear contact lenses
- you look at computer screens for a long time without a break
- you spend time in air conditioned or heated environments
- it's windy, cold, dry or dusty
- you smoke or drink alcohol
- you take certain medicines (for example, some antidepressants or blood pressure medicines)
- you have a condition, such as blepharitis, Sjögren's syndrome or lupus
How to treat dry eyes yourself
Do
- Clean your eyelids every day
- take breaks to rest your eyes when using a computer screen
- make sure your computer screen is just below eye level
- use a humidifier to stop the air getting dry
- if you wear contact lenses, take them out and wear glasses to rest your eyes
Don't
- clean your eyelids every day
- take breaks to rest your eyes when using a computer screen
- make sure your computer screen is just below eye level
- use a humidifier to stop the air getting dry
- if you wear contact lenses, take them out and wear glasses to rest your eyes
A pharmacist may be able to help with dry eyes
A pharmacist may be able to tell you:
- what you can do to treat it yourself – such as cleaning and protecting your eyes
- if you can buy anything to help – such as eye drops, gels, ointments or allergy medicines
- if you need to see an optician or GP