Vision- Our Most Important (and Most Ignored) Sense!
If you think about it, your sight is possibly the most heavily relied upon sense that we have- we use it every day, all day long! When we sleep we learn to ignore the signals we get from our eyes but they are technically still hard at work during our REM sleep too. They are on the job non-stop. Of all of our senses, it would probably be one of the hardest to suddenly do without- losing your sight would require you to re-learn how to do almost everything in your life.
Oddly enough, despite it’s importance, we are more likely to take it for granted than our other senses.
We blow our nose and gargle with mouthwash to keep our sense of smell and taste working well. We clean our ears and get rid of ear wax as part of our hearing maintenance routine and we’re careful to keep our hands clean and safe from harm in order to preserve our sense of touch but what do we do for our eyes? What kind of daily routine do you have for your eyes?
Usually… not much at all.
So what happens if you are going about your day and suddenly you get dry, itchy eyes? What if your vision suddenly gets a bit blurry? Interestingly- most of us do nothing. Or worse, we jam our unwashed hands into our eyes, rub vigorously, and carry on with our day. Even our nose gets better treatment than this right? At least we have specialized equipment for it- everybody has used a handkerchief or facial tissue before right?
Dry Eye Syndrome and Our Ellicott City Eye Doctors
Do your eyes get Dry? Do they get gritty, itchy or suddenly feel like you have a speck of dirt in them? Do they suddenly start tearing up? Even when there is nothing there?
You might be experiencing Dry Eye Syndrome, also known as DES.
The symptoms can vary but the list of the more common indicators of Dry Eye Syndrome include:
- A feeling that there is sand or grit in your eye- when obviously there is none.
- A burning feeling in your eyes
- An unbearable itchiness that quickly leads to your eyes becoming bloodshot
- Suddenly Watery Eyes
- Sensitivity to Light- but without an accompanying headache
- Discomfort while wearing your Contact Lenses
If you have some of these symptoms and they come and go but never completely stop, then it is imperative that you make an appointment to see our Ellicott City optometrists as soon as possible. Don’t try to self-diagnose something as important as your eyesight. Leave it to the professionals at Professional Vision in Ellicott City, MD!