Are your eyes burning, dry, or just seem to water insistently? Do you notice this happening more after work or near the end of the day?
The burning sensation that seemingly comes out of nowhere and the headaches and blurred vision that tend to follow a day spent reading, driving, or staring at a digital screen could be a sign that you need glasses or contact lenses—or it could be a sign that you are suffering from eye strain.
Does it feel like someone has thrown sand in your eyes? Are they constantly burning or stinging? Do you find yourself reaching for eye drops throughout the day for relief?
You might be experiencing dry eye. Dry eye disease affects more than 16 million people in America. It is one of the most common reasons people visit their optometrist. And a new remedy—a nasal spray—is coming soon.
Roughly 194 million Americans and over 1.4 billion people worldwide wear glasses or contact lenses, according to The Vision Council. It’s estimated 75% of adults currently require, or will require, vision correction at some point in their lives.
While there are a number of reasons people wear glasses, most often it is to correct what is known as a refractive error. The National Eye Institute defines a refractive error as a vision issue that occurs as a result of changes in the shape of your eye that prevents light from correctly focusing on the retina. As a result, images often become blurred, distorted, and out of focus while also contributing to physical discomforts including headaches, double vision, and eye strain.
You’ve booked your first eye examination… Do you need to prepare? Will it hurt? How long will it take? These are all reasonable questions I get asked regularly, so allow me to help you understand what to expect at a routine eye exam.
You may rely on eye drops for a variety of reasons: to treat allergies, relieve dry eyes, treat minor infections, and possibly, to help minimize the effects of glaucoma. As shocking as it may sound, you can add treating presbyopia to the list.
The development of presbyopia eye drops is great news for the nearly two-billion people who suffer from the condition.
