Are there lifestyle changes that can help reduce my morning dry eye symptoms when drops and ointments fail?

Make sure you don’t sleep under a ceiling fan. A humidifier may help in bedroom if you live in a dry climate. If you haven’t tried gel drops or ointments at bedtime, this may help. If using artificial tears, you will need to use them 3 to 5 times per day, every day.

The biggest cause of dry eye is a poor oil layer of your tears. This oil is produced by the meibomian glands near the eyelashes. As we age, they work less and less. By doing a lid scrub daily (warm washcloth wrapped around a finger or two and scrub right at the eyelid margin where eyelashes are with eyes closed – almost like you’re brushing your teeth for about 20 seconds. This stimulates blood flow to the oil glands. Warm compresses or a heated mask can also be used to increase blood flow and help melt the thick oil into thinner oil that can be expressed by the glands easier. Our office now provides IPL treatment for dry eyes. It is a device that produces an Intense Pulse of Light to the skin that helps rejuvenate those glands plus can make the skin around your eyes look and feel younger! Insurance does not pay but often after a series of these treatments, drops are no longer needed. Eat right, exercise daily, see your PCP at least yearly for blood work and a physical and see an optometrist yearly to help manage your dry eye. There are also prescription eye drops that may be right for you. And on that same subject, some medications and/or health conditions can cause or at least contribute to dry eye syndrome.