Easy on the eyes

Eyes are the first to show signs of stress and fatigue. Be it a late night party, time spent in front of the television or physical and mental pressure at work your eyes are the first to take it and hence proper eye care is mandatory. Inspite of the hectic lives we lead, a little care can go a long way in getting back those mesmerising eyes. Dr S Natarajan, a vitreoretinal surgeon and the Medical Director of Aditya Jyot Eye Hospital Pvt Ltd lists the most common problems and provides solutions for the same.

Dark Circles and puffiness

Dark circles around your eyes and pouches under the lower eyelids are very common complaints. The usual causes are tiredness, lack of sleep, allergies, excessive smoking and drinking, hereditary predilection and sometimes an underlying systemic disease.

Solution

• Having adequate sleep and drinking lots of water can help you do away with dark circles. Also avoiding excess salt intake keeps facial puffiness at bay

• Excessive smoking and drinking must be avoided. Applying aloevera cream along with vitamin K and Retinol around the eyelids at night goes a long way to lessen dark circles. Similarly, cold compress around the eyes before going to bed and after getting up in the morning helps

• In cases of allergic causes, the allergen causing the puffiness should be found out and avoided. Opinion of a dermatologist regarding the management is warranted

• Hereditary forms might actually be due to carbon deposits underneath the skin due to incomplete protein digestion by the stomach, thereby causing a deficiency of vitamins pyridoxine and folic acid. In such a case, alternate methods of supplementation of these vitamins can be tried.

Wrinkles

Wrinkles around the eyes, otherwise known as crows' feet, are common in people over the age of forty. The main causes are laughing, smiling and squinting. Ultra-violet rays damage and cause excessive drying, leading to premature aging of the skin.

Solution

• Prevention is the best cure. A cleanser and toner may cause skin to dry around the eyes. Use an eye cream that contains a high SPF

• The skin around the eye is extremely delicate and hence you should be careful about skincare products that you apply to your eyes

• One must always wear sunglasses with ultra-violet rays protective coating, especially when you are involved in plenty of outdoor activities. A cream that contains Retinol-A will help to reduce and improve the lines

• For a more permanent cure, one could opt for a series of laser treatment, microdermabrasions and glycolic acid peels. This is to bring about a peeling of the skin's top layer. This prompts a new, healthier-looking layer of skin to surface, but it also stimulates additional collagen production beneath the skin. However very deep peels can damage the skin and permanently discolor or even cause scaring

• After-care involves strict sun protection for about a week

• Botox injections can also be administered. Botox is a toxin that is injected into the skin to relax the muscles. The results are effective within two to three days but do not tend to last much longer than four to five months, after which time another injection will have to be given

• It may be associated with mild side effects like mild pain, bruising, headache or temporary relaxation of the eyelid.

Watery eyes

Watering eye is known as epiphora. It can be due to excessive tear production or due to disturbance of the tear drainage system. Watering eyes are a common problem, especially in older people over the age of 60, and in babies (0-12 months of age). Your eyes produce extra tears when something irritates them, to help wash away the 'irritant'. Irritants include fumes, an infection such as conjunctivitis, a scratch, a piece of grit, or an inwardly growing eyelash (also called an entropion).

Solution

• The most common cause of watering eyes is a blocked or narrowed tear duct, which can be due to inflammation (swelling)

• Tears can then remain in the tear sac and become infected. You will know if your tear sac is infected because your eye will have a sticky discharge, and you may notice a swelling on the side of your nose, near your eye

• Finally, it is possible that your tears have an unusual lipid (fat) content, which means that they cannot spread across your eye evenly, causing extra tears to be produced

• Treatment for watering eyes depends on the cause, and whether you feel it bothers you very much. Some people find that they only have a mild case and do not need any treatment.