December 2020 - Page 2 of 2 - Eurobio

Dry eye syndrome is a common eye condition caused by a lack of adequate tears lubrication. This may be due to inadequate tears or poor-quality tears. It typically affects both eyes and can cause serious discomfort such as stinging, itching or burning sensation.

Tears is made up of water for moisture, oils for lubrication, mucus for even spreading, antibodies and special proteins to fight infection.

A disruption of tear production or imbalance tear composition can lead to dry eye and its associated problems. Common dry eye causes include:

• Environmental factors like dry air, high temperatures or windy weather
• Natural aging process especially menopause
• Side effects of certain drugs like antihistamines
• Infrequent blinking
• Allergies
• Long term use of contact lenses
• Laser eye surgery

Dry eye has a variety of signs and symptoms. These symptoms are typically more pronounced under certain climate conditions, such as dry or windy weather, high temperatures and/or lower humidity. Common signs and symptoms of dry eye include:

• Stinging, burning or itching sensation
• Light sensitivity
• Blurred vision
• Watery eyes
• Eye redness
• Sensation of having something in your eye
• Mucous buildup in/or around the eyes

There are a number of steps that you can take to help avoid dry eye. This includes cleaning the air filters in your home or workplace, and limiting the amount of time spent staring at digital screens.

• Avoid air blowing in your eyes
• Avoid prolonged exposure to the sun and/or dry weather conditions
• Add moisture to the air
• Take eye breaks during long tasks
• Use artificial tears
• Ensure sufficient eye nutrition that includes Omega-3 fatty acids, Lutein, Zeaxanthin, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Anthocyanidins, which is found in the herb Bilberry, to improve eye health

Have you ever wondered why people with diabetes are encouraged to undergo annual checkups for their eye health? How does the increase in blood sugar level affect their eye health?

It turns out having a high sugar level in your blood may damage the blood vessels in retina, which is a light-sensitive layer of tissues at the back of your eye, and will lead to a condition called diabetic retinopathy.  Diabetic retinopathy is a serious condition that should not be neglected as it is the most common cause of vision loss and even blindness in people with diabetes.

People with early stages of diabetic retinopathy usually do not have any symptoms, but as the disease progresses people will notice some changes in their vision such as:

• Difficulty in reading
• Blurred vision
• Increase number of floaters
• Dark or empty spots in the field of vision
• Poor night vision

These changes usually affect both eyes.

Anyone who has diabetes can develop diabetic retinopathy, but some people have higher risk of getting it such as:

• Poor control of blood sugar
• Duration of diabetes- having diabetes for a long time will increase the risk of eye damage
• Having high blood pressure and high cholesterol
• Women with diabetes who become pregnant

Managing blood sugar is the best way to prevent diabetic retinopathy.  This includes adapting a healthy lifestyle such as regular physical activity and eating healthy. It is also important to maintain a healthy cholesterol level and blood pressure reading. Take good care of your eye health by taking some nutrients that benefits the eye such as Omega-3 fatty acids, Lutein, Zeaxanthin, Vitamin C and Vitamin E. Having regular eye exam is also crucial to eye health as early detection and early treatment can delay the damages and prevent blindness.