Tips and tricks to better manage your dry eyes

Hi, Dr. Zhu. Do you have any tips or tricks so that I can better manage my dry eye disease? [MUSIC PLAYING]

If you suffer from dry disease, you know how irritating it is. Thankfully, there are lifestyle changes

you can make to better manage your dry eyes. For starters, things like air conditioning, fans,

hair dryers, or heaters can make your dry symptoms worse. If you're using one of these appliances,

try your best to avoid having it pointed directly at your eyes. A similar irritant is smoke.

If you smoke, you should quit. You can talk to your health care provider about ways to do so.

If you don't smoke, try to avoid secondhand smoke, as it can also worsen your symptoms.

You can also wear sunglasses or other protective eyewear to keep smoke, wind, and other air out of your eyes.

If you work at a computer, you'll also want to pay attention to where your screen is and how long you look at it.

If you put your computer screen at eye level, your eyes are generally more open than if your computer screen is below eye level.

So if you keep your screen lower, you won't have to open your eyes as wide, which might help slow tear evaporation between things.

Additionally, if you're looking at your screen for a long time, take breaks every so often. You can close your eyes for a bit

or blink rapidly for a few seconds to help spread tears over your eyes. Your environment also can worsen your symptoms.

If you're in a dry place like a desert or at high altitude or in a plane, you may find it beneficial in these situations

to close your eyes for a couple of minutes at a time to reduce tear evaporation. Of course, there are also medications, both prescription

and over-the-counter, that can help ease your dry eye symptoms. For instance, things like artificial tears

may be a big help. Your best bet is to talk to your health care provider. Together, you can develop a plan that works for you.