• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
GO TO EXPAT LIVING SINGAPORE
GET OUR NEWSLETTER

Expat Living Hong Kong HomepageExpat Living Hong Kong

Moving to Hong Kong and not sure where to start? Expat Living is the essential lifestyle guide to living in Hong Kong.

Login Pelcro Shop

Menu
  • Living In Hong Kong
      • Living Here
      • Where To Live
      • Schools
      • For Guys
        • Vote for the best businesses in Hong Kong in the Expat Living Readers' Choice Awards 2023 and you could one one of these fantastic prizesExpat Living Readers’ Choice Awards 2023
        • Romantic dining options for Valentine’s Day
        • Where to buy flowers and plants in HK
        • Romantic Holidays for Valentine's Day -Meliá Ho Tram Beach Resort8 Romantic Southeast Asia Getaways
      • View all
    Close
  • Things To Do
      • Things To Do
      • What’s On/Calendar
      • Competitions & Offers
        • Innerglow at Tai KwunTop 35 Best Things To Do In Hong Kong This Weekend
        • Great podcasts we are listening to!
        • What to watch this month – Netflix & more!
        • Romantic dining options for Valentine’s Day
      • View all
    Close
  • Kids
      • Activities & Things To Do
      • Education & Enrichment
      • Health & Wellness
      • Mums & Babies
      • Podcasts
        • Social media - the effects on mental health and attention spans by Hong Kong clinical psychologist Dr ZaidiHow we’re losing the knack of paying attention
        • Private tutors in Hong Kong
        • Hong Kong school news - IMS Open DayWhat’s new on the school scene?
        • We chat with two GSIS families
      • View all
    Close
  • Homes
      • Home Décor
      • Readers Homes
        • Where to buy flowers and plants in HK
        • Design Ideas: Yoga at Home
        • A New Home in The New Territories
        • Transforming an old Hong Kong junk
      • View all
    Close
  • Travel
      • Short Breaks
      • Further Afield
      • Travel News & Offers
        • Romantic Holidays for Valentine's Day -Meliá Ho Tram Beach Resort8 Romantic Southeast Asia Getaways
        • Sequoia Lodge, AustraliaTravel Tips: Hot hotels for 2023
        • Mount KinabuluClimbing Mount Kinabalu in Sabah
        • Son Doong CaveJourney into the world’s largest cave
      • View all
    Close
  • Wine & Dine
      • Recipes & Groceries
      • Bars & Restaurants
        • Valentine’s Day Recipe: Acquerello Risotto, Lemon, Champagne and Red Prawns
        • Romantic dining options for Valentine’s Day
        • Thai food at Monsoon restaurant in Hong KongRestaurant Review: Monsoon
        • 6 super reasons to visit sky100
      • View all
    Close
  • Style & Beauty
      • Fashion
      • Hair & Beauty
        • Eyebrow and eyelash treatments at Glow Salon in Hong KongWhere to get your brows and lashes done
        • Sustainable fashion brand Tove & Libra's range of convertible clothing - black multi-tankConvertible clothing that can be mix-and-matched
        • where to get botox in hong kongBotox in Hong Kong – All you need to know
        • Where to buy (and sell!) watches
      • View all
    Close
  • Health & Fitness
      • Medical & Dental
      • Fitness
      • Wellness
        • Social media - the effects on mental health and attention spans by Hong Kong clinical psychologist Dr ZaidiHow we’re losing the knack of paying attention
        • dry eye disease - causes, symptoms and treatment for dry eyesDo you suffer from dry eyes?
        • family dental clinics and dentists in Hong KongFamily Dental Clinics and Dentists in HK
        • Children's teeth and bracesKids and braces – all you need to know
      • View all
    Close
  • Shop
    • Magazine
    • Advertise With Us
    • Close

Do you suffer from dry eyes?

31 January, 2023 by Expat Living 3 Min Read

https://expatliving.hk/dry-eyes-disease-causes-symptoms-and-treatment/

Optometrist ANDY MEAU of iSight Optometric Eye Care Centre discusses the all-too-common affliction of dry eyes. What are some of the common causes, symptoms and treatments for dry eye disease – and what can we do at home to prevent it.

What makes our eyes moist, and why is this important?

Tears are produced by lacrimal glands above our eyes. Every time we blink, the upper eyelid touches the lower lid, and a layer of tears called a tear film spreads across the surface of our eyes. This tear film helps to keep our eyes moist and focus light so we can see clearly. Our tears also have naturally occurring enzymes called lysozymes that function as antimicrobial agents to protect our eyes from infection, and flush out dirt and dust.

dry eye disease - causes, symptoms and treatment for dry eyes

What are some symptoms of dry eye disease or syndrome?

Symptoms include a feeling of scratchiness or having something in the eye, a burning or stinging sensation, light sensitivity, redness, itchy and blurry vision.

What are some causes?

Risk of dry eyes include age (40 or older), gender (women are more susceptible), wearing contact lenses, working conditions (air-conditioned offices, dusty environments, too much screen time), a diet lacking in vitamin A or omega-3 fatty acids, and autoimmune conditions such as Sjögren syndrome.

Has the pandemic contributed to an increasing number of cases of dry eye?

The shift to working from home has played a part. When we spend all day at home on our screens, this leads to a decreased rate of blinking. And being indoors in Hong Kong can also mean being in an air-conditioned environment all day. When we don’t leave home, there are fewer opportunities for human interaction, and less time for our eyes to relax and the tear film to restabilise. Another factor is the updraft caused by wearing masks, which can exacerbate the evaporation of tears.

Finally, a recent study in Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology found that almost 20 percent of COVID patients develop dry eye symptoms a month after recovery due to tear film instability.

What can readers do at home or in the office to minimise the problem?

  • For anyone who works with screens most of the time, I always advocate doing blinking exercises after every 10 minutes of work. Simply blink fully ten times, making sure the upper lid and lower lid touch.
  • I recommend using artificial tear eye drops twice a day.
  • At home, a warm compress for 10 to 15 minutes every day can help to unclog openings in the eyes known as the meibomian glands.
  • Be sure to completely remove eye makeup at the end of the day, as cosmetic products can potentially cause blockages in the meibomian glands.
  • A diet of fish high in omega-3 fatty acids – salmon, sardines, tuna, trout and mackerel, for example – has been found in numerous studies to be effective in reducing dry eye symptoms.
  • Using a humidifier can help to moisten dry indoor air, while air cleaners that filter out dust and irritants in the air can also be helpful

What are the dangers of not tackling dry eyes?

If dry eye is untreated, besides the physical discomfort, it can lead to inflammation, infections, abrasion of the corneal surface (akin to the cracked skin on our lips), corneal ulcers and potential vision loss. Dry eyes can also cause a decreased satisfaction in performing daily activities and decreased work productivity.

It’s important to see an optometrist who is fully equipped for dry eye diagnosis and treatment, including using specialised infrared cameras to view the eyes. Once the type of dry eye disease is identified, we can prescribe the appropriate artificial tear eye drops. As a rule, preservative-free eye drops are always better for the eyes than eye drops with preservative.

1002-03 Loke Yew Building, 50-52 Queen’s Road Central
2521 6060 | isight.com.hk


Like this? See more in our Health & Fitness section.

Subscribe to Expat Living now so you never miss an issue.

Categories: Editors Picks Health & Fitness Wellness Tags: eye care iSight Optometric Eye Care Centre

Get the latest events, stories and special offers
sent to your inbox.

By signing up, you'll receive our bimonthly newsletters and offers, which you can unsubscribe to anytime.

You May Also Like

family dental clinics and dentists in Hong Kong

Family Dental Clinics and Dentists in HK

Vote for the best businesses in Hong Kong in the Expat Living Readers' Choice Awards 2023 and you could one one of these fantastic prizes

Expat Living Readers’ Choice Awards 2023

6 super reasons to visit sky100

Primary Sidebar

  • COMPETITIONS & OFFERS
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Subscribe

© 2023 Expat Living Hong Kong, All Rights Reserved.