Working all day can be tiring enough, but combine it with the fact that when you finally clock out your eyes itch, feel dry, or burn and then everything becomes quite a bit more difficult. Dry eyes affect over 20 million Americans and can happen for a variety of reasons.
Common Symptoms
Dry eyes can manifest with a variety of symptoms, the most common one being the feeling of burning or itching. People also describe their dry eyes as feeling like they have sand in their eyes. Becoming more sensitive to light (causing lots of squinting and blinking) is an additional way people start to realize they have dry eyes. These symptoms are often irritating and distracting especially in a work environment.
Causes of Dry Eyes
Finding the cause of your dry eyes is the first step to treatment. There are many different reasons why you might have dry eyes, but one of the most common is the amount of time the general population spends staring at computer screens. This is because a digital screen is one of the most strenuous things for your eyes. Another common reason is because of dry air as a result of indoor heaters. If the place you work has you spending a lot of time in front of a digital screen, or has indoor heaters, this could contribute significantly to dry eyes.
Treatment
One easy way to treat dry eyes is to purchase a humidifier, this will counteract the dry air in the room and maintain a safe amount of moisture for your eyes. Additionally, taking frequent breaks from your computer screen will reduce eye strain and give your eyes time to re-moisturize before you begin work again.
A warm damp cloth laid across your eyes can be a great way to relieve some of the symptoms from having dry eyes. Also if you wear contacts, taking breaks from wearing them throughout the day could significantly reduce the amount of strain on your eyes.
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