Dust washing! How to use artificial tears correctly

Fine dust can adversely affect not only the bronchial tubes but also the health of the eyes that are directly exposed to the atmosphere.

So, is it really necessary to wash your eyes on a fine dust day? Healthy eyes don't need special eye cleaning because their natural tears protect them. However, if you have a pre-existing corneal disease or allergic conjunctivitis, or if your eyes itch or feel a foreign body after going outside, it is recommended to remove foreign substances stuck to your eyes with artificial tears.

When washing your eyes, it is recommended to use single-use artificial tears, and you should be careful not to come into direct contact with your eyes.

1. Directions for inserting artificial tears

When inserting artificial tears, how should I put the direction? Neither latitude, nor right, nor left. Pulling on the lower eyelid and dripping only one or two drops of artificial tears is the smartest way to put it in. This is because the lower eyelid hides a mucous membrane (conjunctival sac) with a large area.

This is because fine dust that enters the eye from the outside accumulates in the conjunctival sac below during blinking. Also, since it is far away from the cornea, putting eye drops in is safer because you can avoid accidentally scratching the cornea.

2. Amount of artificial tears

One or two drops are enough. When the eyes are closed, the volume of liquid absorbed by the eye is approximately 30 mcL (1 mcL = 0.001 mL). The volume of one drop of artificial tear fluid is 50mcL. Even if you add just one drop of artificial tears, you can see it as an overflowing volume.

 

Is it OK to wash with tap water?

 

There are people who inadvertently add tap water to wash their eyes, but you need to be careful. This is because tap water, even if it is disinfected, contains E. coli and is not good for eye health. Tap water has a different osmotic pressure and acidity than human tears, so there is a risk of feeling uncomfortable or becoming inflamed.

 

Normal saline is made up of salt and water, so while irrigating your eyes may temporarily make your eyes feel clearer, they have a different concentration than the substances that make up your tears, P H. If you need to wash your eyes, use saline only when there are no artificial tears.

 

To sum up, if your eyes are itchy or feel a foreign body sensation due to fine dust, you can pull one or two drops of artificial tears into your lower eyelid.