Why are my eyes dry and sore?

There are many reasons for dry eyes. Usually, people will have difficulty opening their eyes and feel dry and sore eyes after getting up in the morning. Sometimes when the air in the room is too dry, it can easily cause dry eyes. There is also a situation where dry eyes may occur when you overuse your eyes. In addition, if someone suffers from allergic conjunctivitis, they may also experience dry eyes and discomfort. Therefore, it is important to find out the real cause of dry eyes, which is the key to treatment.

1. Why do you feel dry eyes when you wake up?

When we wake up in the morning, the tear film is needed between the eyelids and the cornea as a lubricant to prevent the cornea from drying out. The blinking action is the process of applying the lubricant to the cornea. When we sleep, the muscles of our eyelids perform involuntary movements equivalent to blinking; and as we fall asleep, these movements act as a lubricant on the cornea, so our cornea does not dry out. However, compared to the spontaneous blinking movements when awake, the eyelid movements during sleep are often less frequent or uneven, so the lubrication effect is not good and the eyes will feel dry.

1. What are the other reasons that may cause dry eyes?

   1. If your eyes are overly tired the day before, such as watching TV for a long time, using computers and mobile phones, or driving long distances, you will feel that your eyes are more dry the next morning. Many friends also wear contact lenses, which can aggravate dry eyes.

   2. Since the skin of the eyelids is very thin, mild tissue edema can be easily manifested, and the swelling of the eyelids will be more obvious when lying flat. People with swollen eyelids may also feel like they can't open their eyes. Women who experience edema during menstruation may experience similar symptoms.

   3. In spring and autumn, many people suffer from allergic conjunctivitis. Allergic inflammation forms a large number of follicles in the conjunctiva, which can cause a heaviness in the eyelids and make it difficult to open the eyes.

2. What to do if your eyes are dry

   1. If you continue to experience dry eyes, sore eyes and other discomfort, it is best to ask your doctor to help you determine whether it is dry eyes, and if so, what other factors need to be addressed. For example, whether there is meibomian gland dysfunction or other inflammation. If necessary, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory treatments should be used under the guidance of a doctor.

   2. In daily life, you need to pay more attention not to use computers, mobile phones, watch TV, etc. for a long time to avoid excessive eye fatigue.

   3. You can do some acupoint massage and hot compress around the eyes.

   4. Eat more foods rich in vitamin A, as well as wolfberry, blueberry, etc.

   4. Can I use eye drops when my eyes are dry?

   Many people use eye drops when they experience dry eyes symptoms. Many people treat eye drops as a daily necessity and put a few drops in whenever they have time. This practice is not advisable. Eye drops cannot replace the function of tears, and there is no need for ordinary people to use them all the time. When you feel your eyes are dry, you can drop one or two drops to relieve the discomfort. Dropping too much will destroy the normal tear film and will not play a protective role.