Due to the dry, burning reaction that stimulates the lacrimal glands, tears are secreted but cannot penetrate the tissue and flow out, the patient needs treatment.
Ms. Thuy, 48 years old, an office worker in Hanoi, came to the Hanoi High-Tech Eye Hospital (Hitec) for examination with a condition of excessive tearing. The disease caused her a lot of inconvenience because of the nature of her job, which often requires her to wear makeup.
Through examination, Dr. Nguyen Thi Nguyet Anh said that the patient had dry eyes. In the elderly, especially menopausal women, due to hormonal changes, tears are often secreted less (quantity). The basic components in tears such as water, oil, and mucus also change (quality), so the rate of dry eyes is higher.
Dry eyes are a fairly common condition, when there are not enough tears to lubricate the surface of the eyeball, causing a burning or gritty feeling in the eyes. “Although it sounds contradictory, dry eyes will produce a lot of tears due to the dry, burning reaction that stimulates the lacrimal glands, on the other hand, tears are secreted but cannot penetrate the tissue so they flow out,” said Dr. Nguyet Anh.
Other conditions such as blepharitis, chronic allergic keratoconjunctivitis or after certain surgeries that affect the surface of the eyeball… can also affect the ability to secrete and change the composition of tears, causing dry eyes. In addition, interacting with electronic devices for many hours a day contributes to the increase in the rate of patients with the above disease.
Doctor Nguyet Anh said that people with presbyopia like the above case need to wear glasses to see up close, otherwise their eyes will get tired quickly. These glasses are basically the same as farsighted glasses. However, farsightedness is a form of congenital refractive error in the eye. Presbyopia is a condition of reduced accommodation function due to natural aging in normal eyes, affecting the quality of life, often occurring in people over 40 years old.
In some cases, the eyes “try to adjust” and can still see objects close by clearly, but after a short time, symptoms of headaches and eye strain will appear, making reading books or doing work at close range uncomfortable. Therefore, most elderly people have to wear presbyopia glasses.
A patient receives an in-depth eye examination at the hospital. Photo: Hospital provided
Each type of artificial tear is prescribed for different levels of dry eye with different causes. Therefore, patients need to see a specialist to be prescribed the appropriate type of artificial tear.