Unichem Manly Pharmacy

 

While over the counter artificial tears have been the traditional treatment for dry eyes, new treatments and a more holistic approach is the latest way to go. Dry eye sufferers now have a range of treatment options to choose from. Symptoms of dry eyes may include one or all of the following:

 

• A stinging, burning or scratchy sensation in your eyes

• A sense of a foreign substance in your eyes

• Eye redness

• Watery eyes

• Eye fatigue after short periods of reading

• Difficulty wearing contact lenses

 

Medications, aging and other causes, such as environmental factors (eg. air conditioning), insufficient blinking (too much screen time!) can lead to dry eyes.

 

In your tears, you will find both water for moisture and oils to help you see and keep your eyes comfortable. Having dry eyes is caused because your tear system is “out of whack”. This means that replacing tears with an over-the-counter eye drop will help. We can advise you on which formula will suit you, whether it be frequent use or a longer lasting formulation, to be used with contacts, no preservatives, oil based lubrication, etc. Selecting an incorrect eye drop can lead to all sorts of problems, whereas getting the right one feels like a silk pillow for your eyes!

 

However, when it comes to treating your dry eyes, there’s more to consider than just some drops. Decreased oil production to help with that lubrication can happen when the glands around your eye get blocked. A moist heat eye mask will help to unblock the glands (where oil has solidified) and allow natural production of lubrication for your eye again. (Bring in this article for a 10% saving off price of the Opti-Soothe Moist Heat Mask) You can also prevent blockages by using special eye wipes to keep these sensitive areas clean and clear.

 

Can your nutrition help? Yes it can! The results from recent studies suggest that taking sea buckthorn pulp oil can treat and prevent dry eyes. It is thought that the Omega 7 from this oil may play an important role in lubrication of areas such as the eye. Sea Buckthorn Pulp Oil is available in a capsule form and should be taken on a daily basis. It has been hard for us to find such a formulation, but we have finally sourced a product recently and have this available at Unichem Manly Pharmacy. Treatment for dry eyes first involves getting the diagnosis right. There are many other conditions that exhibit the same symptoms as dry eyes. Myself or my pharmacist colleagues at Unichem Manly Pharmacy can run through a set of questions to help you exclude other causes, some of which can be quite serious. Make sure you take this important step. You’ve only got two eyes, so best look after them!

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