January 14, 2010 
Although the problem of dry eye in the world has in the last 7 years almost doubled, it is not insoluble, and there is a lot you can do yourself …
Have you ever heard of “dry eye syndrome“? Never? You are not the only one! According to some estimates, 89% of people never heard of dry eye syndrome, although it is the most common of all eye problems. For symptoms such as dryness, redness, tingling, feeling of foreign bodies in the eye, tearing, eye fatigue, etc., many of us think they are just part of the life. But they are not. Namely, the surprising fact is that the problem of dry eye in the world in the last 7 years has almost doubled. However, the problem is not unsolvable, and in that regard there is a lot you can do yourself. To connect your symptoms with a dry eye syndrome and try to avoid what can be avoided, we will enumerate the most common causes of its emergence:
• Aging – 75% of the population older than 65 suffer from dry eye syndrome
• gender – hormonal changes in women during pregnancy, lactation, menstruation and menopause often cause dry eye syndrome
• diseases – rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, asthma, thyroid diseases, glaucoma …
• drugs – anti-depression, high blood pressure, contraception ….
• contact lenses – evaporation of tears from the eyes causes discomfort when wearing, irritation, protein deposits on the lenses, eye inflammations and pain
• environment – smoke, fluorescent lights, air-conditioned rooms, central heating, wind … markedly increase evaporation of tears
• PC – while doing long and concentrated work on the computer we often “forget” blinking (blinking process is important for the production of tears) soe tears evaporate and the eyes are more drought.
It is normal that the secretion of tears is constantly taking place (day and night) and it is called the basal secretion. On the other hand there is a reflex secretion of tears, usually in response to eye irritation of mechanical or emotional nature. And if for any reason arises dry eye syndrome, there are artificial tears to use.
What are actually artificial tears?
Artificial tears are a medical product that acan be purchased in pharmacies without a prescription, and are used as a substitute for natural tears, whose secretion or composition for some reason is insufficient.
When and how to use them? It is simple: according to need, instil 1-2 drops into each eye several times a day, or when the eyes feel uncomfortable.
The fact is that we will in the coming winter often feel uncomfortable and have mentioned problems with his eyes for several reasons – longer stay in closed rooms, rooms with central heating (influence of warm and dry air), stuffy cinema, disco clubs and smoky bars, more reading and computer work. Some will spend some time on the skiing at altitudes where our eyes are more exposed to wind currents, and recently very dangerous, ultraviolet light.
In addition to wearing protective glasses to mechanically protect from wind, and with its UV filters protect from ultraviolet (UV) radiation, on the skiing and in all these circumstances we can help ourselves with these artificial tears, which can help us ease the problems, and due to its practical packaging will always be on hand.
Taken from: www.vasezdravlje.com, Author: Marija Ivkić