Dry eyes are extremely common, but they can be very difficult to live with. If you have chronic dry eyes, it is in your best interest to take the proper measures to get the situation under control and find relief. Taking care of dry eyes is also important for your eye health and your vision. Dry eyes can be caused by a number of different issues, but luckily there are several different things that you can do to help the problem. Use the following tips to help take care of your dry eyes:

Use Artificial Tears

One of the simplest ways to help combat dry eyes is by using artificial tears on a regular basis. At the first sign of chronic dry eyes, it is a good idea to use artificial tears according to the directions on the bottle. Artificial tears can be purchased from drug stores, big box stores, and online retailers. When you use artificial tears, the compounds within the product will moisturize and soothe your eyes, helping to eliminate irritation, redness, and the scratchy feeling that many people with dry eyes experience. Another benefit of artificial tears is the fact that they are typically pretty affordable.

Try Prescription Eye Medications

If artificial tears have little to no effect on your dry eyes, it is in your best interest to make an appointment to see your eye doctor. An eye doctor will be able to give you an eye examination in order to ensure that you do not have any underlying eye issues or diseases. When your only issue is dry eyes, your eye doctor may prescribe prescription eye drops for you to use. There are a few different kinds of prescription eye drops available to treat dry eyes. If your eyes are extremely dry and inflamed, steroid eye drops may be necessary.

Tear Duct Plugs

In some cases, chronic dry eyes are the result of tears draining down into the nasal cavity, leaving the eyes with no lubrication. A solution to this issue is having tear duct plugs put into place. Tear duct plugs are very small, and they are inserted into the tear ducts at the corner of your eyes. Once your eye doctor placed the tear duct plugs, the tears produced by your tear ducts will stay on the surface of your eyes instead of draining. Many people find great relief from chronic dry eyes after getting tear duct plugs. 

For more information, contact a clinic like Davies Eye Center.