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Blinking comes naturally, and you hardly think about it, right? But if you do stop to think about it, it’s really a fascinating feature of the body that raises so many questions. Why do you blink? What happens if you blink too much or too little? How many times do you blink a day?
Blink once if you’re curious about this. Blink twice for ‘yeah, I’m very excited to learn more!’
You know in romcoms where the lead wakes up refreshed, happy, and with their eyes bright? That doesn’t happen to me. When I wake up, my eyes protest. They hurt!
But why do my eyes hurt when I wake up? Let’s figure out what’s going on here!
“Get the red out” eye drops are often advertised as a quick, easy solution for red, irritated eyes. These red eye drops are popular, cheap, and readily available.
Who hasn’t picked up one of these at the drugstore for a recurring red eye? But are they safe for long-term use?
While these products can temporarily reduce redness, they often contain ingredients called vasoconstrictors that constrict blood vessels to alleviate redness for a short time. Unfortunately, chronic use of these red eye drops can lead to long-term eye health issues, including “rebound redness,” worsening dryness, and even more serious eye conditions.
What is rosacea? Rosacea is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition resulting in reddening skin and a rash on the nose and cheeks. Blood vessels and pus-filled spots are common signs. The skin can also become dry, swollen, flaky, and may burn or itch. The condition is non-contagious and can vary in severity. Most people are familiar with rosacea of the skin, but they’re less familiar with ocular rosacea.
Dry eye is a disorder of the tear film due to tear deficiency or excessive evaporation.
The most common reasons for dry eye include age, digital device use, contact lens wear, and the use of medication. The most common symptoms are itching, inconsistently blurry vision, redness, watery eyes, grittiness, burning, and eye fatigue.
A dry eye diagnosis is usually made from a patient’s dry eye symptoms, and the signs present on the front of the eye, confirmed through specific tests. Dry eye disease can be frustrating for both the patient and doctor because it’s considered chronic. The symptoms don’t always match the appearance of the eye that your eye doctor sees. It may require life-long treatment.
