What are common causes of dry eyes?
Common Causes of Dry Eyes
Dry eyes can be caused by many different factors. However, there are a few common external factors that can affect the amount of dryness that we have on a daily basis.
Our Environment
One of the first common reasons people can experience dry eyes is simply through the environment a person lives and works in. If you live in Florida, there is naturally more humidity whereas if you live in the north or midwest the air is naturally more dry. If you have ever lived in the Midwest through a winter, you have likely experienced this for yourself.
Also, you need to consider how your home environment can affect your eyes. Many people like to have a ceiling fan running in their living room or even bedroom, but if you naturally struggle with dry eyes and still have air circulating around your face this can cause problems.
Our Behavior
You probably already understand that our behaviors have a direct influence on how our body ages and changes over time. But people may not understand that certain behaviors can contribute to chronic dry eye conditions without them even knowing.
Screen time is a part of virtually every person's life nowadays. Cell phones, work or school computers, television when we get home... need I say more? The problem is that when we concentrate on a NEAR screen that we're seriously engaged with (work, movie, game, etc) - we tend to NOT blink naturally. (Read the BLINK RATE STUDY HERE) If these behaviors continue over months and years (as they do for many professions), it can lead to a reduction of the tear production and have an adverse affect on the surface of the eye.
