July is Month out of the dry eyes.
Blink twice when you read this. How do your eyes feel?
Are they irritated? Do you feel that you have sand grains in your eyes, but you are not near the beach for a long time? Do you have a car -immune disease?
The latter question may seem random, but having a car – immune disease brings you a higher risk of dry eyes – a chronic condition that causes symptoms such as grainy eyes and loss of eyesight when it is not treated.
“If you have a dry eyes that persist and it is not only episodic, go inside to see an eye doctor. And that is important, especially if you have a family history [of autoimmune disease] Or you have other systemic problems, “said Mina Massaro, MDA professor in clinical ophthalmology at the Scheie Eye Institute and upcoming director of Dry Eye Services at Nyu Langone Health.
It is also important for women and people who are assigned female at birth (AFAB) to notice the relationship between car -immune diseases and dry eyes, because both disorders occur more often in women than men.
Read: what you need to know about dry eyes >>
What is dry eyes?
Dry eye disease is a condition that affects the tear movieThat helps protect and hydrate your eyes.
There are two main types of dry eyes:
- Watery deficient: Your eyes do not produce enough tears to keep your eyes hydrated
- Evaporation: Your eyes will make enough tears, but the liquid does not hang around long enough and dries out quickly
Symptoms of dry eyes can vary from redness and granularity to blurry vision, eye pain and changes in vision. Without treatment, dry eyes can have a serious influence on your vision and quality of life.
The relationship between car -immune diseases and dry eyes disease
Car -immune diseases happen when the body’s immune system wrongly attacks healthy organs, cells and tissues. And that can include the crack glands, which causes a decrease in tear production and leads to inflammation and damage on the eye surface.
Chronic eye infection also influences the oil glands and without oil your tears evaporate too quickly.
Together, reduced tears, lack of oil and the presence of inflammation can all lead to dry eyes, a condition that gets worse over time without treatment.
Read: Inflammation 101 >>
Common car -immune diseases related to dry eyes disease
“There are various car -immune conditions that attack inflammation or inflammation in glands and tissues that are responsible for creating tears,” Massaro said.
Communal car -immune diseases associated with dry eyes can be:
- Diabetes: High blood sugar levels, the characteristic of diabetes, can cause inflammatory reactions that influence tear production and speed up the tear evaporation. Over time, high blood sugar levels can also damage the nerves, which can lead to reduced quantity and quality cracks.
- Rheumatoid arthritis: The immune cells that focus on joints in people with rheumatoid arthritis can also focus on eye glands and tissues.
- Lupus: About 1 in 5 people with lupus, a systemic disease that causes inflammation in different parts of the body, also have dry eyes.
- Graves’ disease: The condition can harm the muscles and glands in the eye and change the tear film, which can also cause surface damage.
Treatment for dry eyes disease
“All car -immune conditions will somehow influence the tear gland [located in the eye]So the treatment for most cases will be similar, “Massaro said.” We will put patients on anti -inflammatory drops; We will put them on smear drops – and this applies to almost all car -immune conditions. “
In addition to eye drops, eye care providers can use prescription treatments that increase tear production or medical devices with light or heat to treat symptoms and spread eyes. Silicone plugs can help keep tears on the eyes for a longer period. “Sometimes we can prescribe specialized contact lenses on the surface of the eyes to prevent evaporation,” Massaro said.
There are also lifestyle changes that can help relieve the symptoms of dry eyes. These include:
- Wearing a wrap-Around sunglasses when it is outdoors
- Avoiding air conditioning ventilation openings indoors and in the car
- Avoid places where people smoke and/or quit smoking
- Restrictive screen time
- Plan breaks if you work for a computer
- Use a humidifier in your house to prevent the air from getting too dry
Clear communication is the key
Car – immune diseases are complex and often require different treatments and medicines – and some of those drugs can make symptoms of dry eyes worse. That is why it is important to keep your healthcare providers – including your eye care provider – up to date with your treatment plans and any changes to your vision.
“The collaboration is crucial and communication is crucial,” said Massaro.
When it comes to living with dry eyes and car -immune diseases, there is no “i” in the team.
This educational source was founded with the support of ViaTris, a member of the Corporate Advisory Council in Healthywomen.
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