Know Your Triggers

Having dry eyes can be like being on a rollercoaster. Because of the often chronic and inflammatory nature of dry eyes many people report periods where things feel a lot worse and then symptoms ease again. About 80% of people report flares ups in their dry eye symptoms, which can last from a few days to a few weeks. A dry eye flare is an acute inflammatory response, this can be brought on by triggers such as excessive screen time, allergies, dry indoor heating or cooling, smoke, contact lenses, or changes to medications.

As with other chronic conditions it’s important to know your triggers - what makes your eyes worse - and trying to avoid them. But if you do get flare ups, you may benefit from courses of stronger management to break the cycle of inflammation.