SAY ‘NIGHT NIGHT’ TO DRY EYE...
Dry eye syndrome can cause pain and irritation in patients, but night-time dry eye can be particularly uncomfortable and distressing…
sicca), but many people complain that their symptoms worsen at night.
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This may be simply because the eyes are tired after a day’s activity and are naturally dried out, but there are other causes.
Another reason may be because the body’s metabolism changes during the night. At night, body temperature falls a little - by maybe one or two degrees. This causes the body’s functions to slow down and leads to a reduction in blood circulation. As a result, there are fewer nutrients reaching the eye, and therefore fewer tears being produced.
Overuse of screen time can also be a major factor. Spending a lot of time in front of a computer reduces the blink rate, leading to dry eye, which can often feel worse late at night after a long day of work.
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scottishpharmacist.com
t is estimated that up to ten per cent of the general public are affected by dry eye syndrome (also known as keratoconjunctivitis
Causes of night-time dry eye As with standard dry eye, night-time dry eye is caused by reduced tear production or increased tear evaporation.
Tears have three layers – water, mucus and oil – which are designed to protect and nourish the front surface of the eye, and each layer has an individual role to play.
The water layer hydrates the eye, the mucus layer spreads tears over the surface of the eyes evenly, and the oil layer prevents the water layer from evaporating.
In order for tears to be produced, all three of these layers have to be producing at a great enough volume. If any of them under-produces, then the tear quality will drop and the patient will experience dry eye syndrome.
Symptoms Fortunately, for most people, the symptoms of dry eye syndrome are mild. Itch, irritation and
a ‘gritty’ feeling in the eye are most common, but there are can be other symptoms, such as a feeling of burning in the eyes and redness of the eye.
Treatments for dry eyes at night Artificial tears: these are synthetic, water-based solutions that are used to lubricate the eye and ‘thicken’ the tears.
Ointments or artificial tear gels: these can help to promote eye moisture and will often offer longer relief than drops, but they may cause blurred vision.
Only a small amount should be used at night to minimise the ‘blurry’ effect.
Prescription medications: if the above do not seem to be having an effect, then the GP may prescribe medication that reduces inflammation or increase tear production, such as antibiotics or corticosteroids.
SPENDING A LOT OF TIME IN FRONT OF A COMPUTER REDUCES THE BLINK RATE, LEADING TO DRY EYE
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