5 Ways to Keep Your Eyes Healthy About 12 million Americans over 40 have some form of vision impairment.So what can you do to keep your eyes healthy? 1. Get a dilated eye exam.Eye problems aren't always obvious, so seeing an ophthalmologist for a dilated eye exam is a good idea. This type of exam can check for eye diseases while they're still in early stages and earlier to treat. 2. Protect your eyes.Slip on UV-blocking sunglasses when you're outside, even if it's cloudy out.And wear safety glasses or goggles when doing home repairs or playing sports. 3. Give your eyes a break.Every day, the average adult spends about 11 hours staring at screens.We don't know how blue light exposure affects vision over time, but in the short term, all those screens can cause eye strain and dry eyes.Take frequent screen breaks, and talk to your eye doctor if your dry eye lasts for extended periods of time. 4. Choose a healthy diet.Boost eye health with fruits and veggies high in vitamins A, C, and E, like sweet potatoes, oranges, avocados, and more.Cold-water fish containing omega-3 fatty acids can help protect eyes, and beans and legumes are rich in zinc to keep your retina healthy. 5. Take care of your contacts.Follow your doctor's instructions for contact lens care. Don't sleep in daily lenses, and only use contact solution to store and clean them.Mistreating your contacts can cause eye infections, damage, pain, and even vision loss. Turn to Healthgrades to connect with the right ophthalmologist to diagnose and treat any eye concerns. And share this video to spread the word!

5 Things You Didn’t Know About Artificial Tears 1. Artificial tears are another term for eye drops used to add moisture to your eye's surface. 2. Artificial tears can relieve symptoms of dry eye disease, easing sensations like dryness, irritation, stinging, and burning. 3. In addition to lubricating your eyes, some types of artificial tears can heal eye damage and help your natural tears work better. 4. Artificial tears sometimes contain preservatives, which can irritate eyes. Preservative-free eye drops are best for people with moderate to severe dry eye. 5. If over-the-counter artificial tears aren't helping, your ophthalmologist may prescribe eye drops that provide greater relief, as well as other treatments. Turn to Healthgrades to connect with the right ophthalmologist to diagnose and treat dry eye. And share this video to help spread the word!

Gabriela: Some of the symptoms that I've experienced with dry eye is a burning sensation in my eyes, a little bit of blurry vision during the burning sensation, also a lot of tearing. It's kind of a hassle. Dr. Parikh: Hi, I'm Dr. Chiti Parikh. Today we're talking about chronic dry eyes. Since chronic dry eyes can last for a really long time, it's very important to consider diet and lifestyle changes when managing the symptoms. Gabriela: Since I was diagnosed, it's kind of gotten better, but that's because I've been implementing a lot of the things, like not sleeping with makeup on, and then also making sure that I use organic or all-natural makeup, also drinking a lot of water. Dr. Dweck: That's critical. When your body is dry, your eyes are going to be dry. Gabriela: I've worked in an office. I was always on either my phone or on a computer. Dr. Dweck: We all work on computers day after day, hour after hour. We're staring. Remember to blink because if you don't blink, there's a good chance your eyes will dry out. Melissa: There's a 20/20/20 rule where for every 20 minutes that you're either on your phone or sitting in front of a computer, even a TV, to look at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds. I've also realized a connection with my diet. Having extra omegas or a fish diet really seems to help. Dr. Dweck: Omega-3 supplements. Those are critical. They include fish oil capsules, krill oil capsules, flaxseed oil capsules. You can eat chia seeds, lots of fatty fish. Taylor: Also noticed that when I don't get enough sleep, it's definitely way worse. I was sleeping with a ceiling fan for a really long time and that's actually really not great for the eyes, so I switched to a regular fan and a humidifier. Dr. Dweck: I think there's been a significant increase in the incidents of dry eye- Taylor: Because of the technology? Dr. Dweck: Because of the technology, because of pollution, and all of our lifestyle issues. I think it's not going to go away anytime soon. Melissa: To be honest, I'm still learning a little. Even though I've had it for so long, I still realize certain things that might be agitating it that I hadn't realized before. And just being more aware of your body, I think, really helps. Dr. Parikh: It sounds like lifestyle changes are really first-line therapy. Without that, none of the other treatments can really be that effective. Dr. Dweck: Exactly.

Dr. Dweck: What constitutes chronic dry eye? That tends to be a prolonged condition that requires treatment on an indefinite period of time. Dr. Parikh: Hi, I'm Dr. Chiti Parikh. Today we're talking about chronic dry eyes. Dr. Parikh: Chronic dry eyes can last more than six weeks so it's important to discuss all treatment options available with our expert. Dr. Dweck: Chronic dry eye is a condition that has many parts to it. There is an intrinsic dryness that can occur, often from an oil gland inflammation of the eyelids. Sometimes the quality of the tear film is a problem, and there are various diseases that can also lead to a chronic dry eye condition. Gabriela: Sometimes, my eyes can start burning or feeling itchy out of nowhere. Taylor: Feels like something's in your eye all the time that you can't get. Melissa: Not only do my eyes feel really dry and scratchy, but I'll get this really strong burning sensation and then my eyes will just start gushing. Dr. Dweck: You ladies have really hit it on the head, okay. Your eyes can actually hurt. Makeup is a big culprit that can lead to inflammation of the oil glands in your eyelid and cause significant dry eye. We recommend, never ever sleep in your makeup. Often we'll recommend a lubricating eye ointment for bedtime that you put inside the eye and then we recommend artificial tears. Over-the-counter, preservative-free, artificial tears are really a very good way to go. Taylor: One thing I actually learned about eye drops when I first started looking... A lot of times the ones that are specifically recommended for redness are not necessarily what's going to support a chronic dry eye. Dr. Dweck: The drops that say "Take the red out," they're very good for infrequent use, but not for chronic use. Dr. Parikh: What are non-eye drop-based treatments you can get for chronic dry eyes? Dr. Dweck: A warm compress. Usually once a day, sometimes twice a day. Taylor: It's just like a warm washcloth. At night, when you lay down, put it on your eye. Dr. Dweck: That's probably the most common way. You could buy a microwavable eye mask. We often will take the next step to use what we call punctal plugs. We want to keep the tears on the eye if we can, and so we put this little plug in to prevent the tears from draining away too quickly. It's a very easy procedure to do and they're completely reversible. Dr. Parikh: Sounds like there's a lot of triggers. So how do you counsel your patients? Dr. Dweck: One of the most important points that I make for my patients is that they have to be proactive in this process. Once they feel good, they can't stop doing these things. This is pretty much indefinite and so they need to continue it, even when the eyes feel good, just keep it up.

What Not to Say to Someone With Dry Eyes 1. "You probably brought this on yourself somehow."2. "You're using too many eye drops."3. "A friend had dry eye once and lost his vision."4. "Dry eyes? Is that a real problem?"5. "At least you're not blind."6. "My allergies are really bad, too."7. "I have a home remedy for that."8. "It's just itchy eyes. It can't be that bad."9. "Your eyes look fine to me."10. "You're probably looking at your phone too much." Turn to Healthgrades to find a doctor who knows just what to say.

5 Things You Didn’t Know About Dry Eye 1. The risk of dry eye increases as you get older. While anyone can have dry eye, your tear production decreases with age, and the condition is most common in people over 50. 2. Certain medications may cause dry eye. Dry eye is a common side effect of antihistamines, antidepressants, decongestants, blood pressure medications, and birth control pills. 3. Screen time isn’t helping your dry eye. Staring too long at computer screens, smartphones or tablets can lead to infrequent blinking, which in turn makes dry eye worse. 4. There are effective dry eye treatment options available. Artificial tears or lifestyle changes can improve your eye health, or your eye doctor might prescribe a medication. 5. The right doctor can mean a world of difference. Finding the best doctor to treat dry eye can increase your quality of life. Turn to Healthgrades.com to search for the right doctor for you. Share this video to help educate others about dry eye!