EYE BLINKING

To understand how much a discomfort dry eye syndrome is, try standing before a blowing electric fan for several minutes with your eyes wide open. Your eyes will feel dry, gritty, scratchy and will turn red. You will experience a burning and itching sensation, and light sensitivity. Specialists said, when you are so focused on your work, or when you are watching or reading, you forget to blink. Blinking is a natural action that keeps the ocular surface healthy, and if you don't blink, it causes evaporative tear loss. Staying up late, working too long in an air-conditioned room or exposing yourself to cigarette smoke are other factors that contribute to situational dry eyes.

To remedy dry eyes syndrome, you should determine what is causing it in the first place. Call center agents, encoders and other people who work long hours at the computer should position their monitor slightly below eye level as this allows the eyes to be partly covered (thus protected) by the lids.

BE aware, when using computer, or watching tv, or reading a book for hours, take a break every 15 minutes to close your eyes for a minute or two. Applying eye drops is another effective way of relieving dry eye syndrome.

PROTECTION from having DRY EYES

If you are exposed to environment factors that aggravate dry eyes - over exposure to the computers, air conditioning
sunlight and wind, take a break every 15mins to blink and close your eyes for a minute or two.

BE aware, blinking lets your tears spread evenly around the eye surface. Aging is the primary risk factor of dry

eyes. If you are 50 years old and above, your chances of having dry eyes are getting high.

BE aware, to protect your eyes from eye dryness, maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating a balanced diet and avoiding

smoking. Apply artificial tears that is preservative free to avoid eye damage.

AGING of our EYES

Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is a consequence of growing older. People in their 60's have been known to

experience debilitating symptoms. It is also the result of generally poor lifestyle - unhealthy diet, smoking,

exposure to artificial and natural UV rays, and the presence of free radicals all contribute to the stress of the

macula, so that they cause blood vessels under the optical nerve to burst.

The burst of blood blocks the central vision, which results in a blurry or blind spot in the middle of a patient's

field of vision. AMD is irreversible. It is treated in it's advanced stage with laser-surgery, photodynamic

therapy and anti-VEGF injections into the eye. However, you can slow down it's progression, if not lessen your

chances of getting it altogether.

BB aware, seeing an opthalmologist regularly after one reaches age 40 is highly recommended. Because AMD does not

happen overnight, traces of it can be spotted early enough and addressed before it worsens. Wearing sunglasses or a

wide rim hat reduces the risk of AMD and so does quitting smoking.