Tears play an important role in our eyes. It maintains the health of the eyes and provides clear vision. Dry eyes appear when this tear vaporizes quickly and the eyes feel irritated. When the eyes can not produce adequate liquid, dry eye symptoms can be seen there.
However, does humidifier help with dry eyes? Well, it certainly does. I will be addressing this topic in detail later in this article. However, if you’re here for the quick answer, then you already have it. But if you wanna know more details, then keep on reading.
The eyes produce tears all the time. Healthy eyes contain clear film. Tear film protects the eyes from becoming dry. When the tear glands produce fewer tears, the tear film gets unstable and easily breakable. This creates dry spots on the eye surface.
Patients with dry eyes feel irritation in the eyes and sudden redness. This problem is felt especially after waking up or at night. There are various treatments for dry eyes. The use of a humidifier is one of them.
The humidifier helps to maintain the moisture level in the air. So, you will not feel dry in the eyes. The tears will evaporate lower in a balanced moisture environment. Let’s get more light in the discussion for ‘does humidifier help with dry eyes’.
What is Dry Eye Syndrome?
Dry eyes occur when the tears can not produce enough lubrication. You will feel uncomfortable and a burning sensation in your eyes when having dry eyes.
The situation gets worse when you are on an airplane, in an air-conditioned room, or looking at a computer for a long time.
The reason : There are many reasons for unstable and inadequate tears in your eyes. Tears contain three layers which are oily, watery, and a mucus layer. The outer layer is oily, the middle layer is watery and the inner is mucus. Different glands supply elements like water, oil, and mucus for the tear. When those glands get inflamed, they cannot produce those elements. It results in less production of tears that leads to quick evaporation of the eyes.
Apart from that, frequent allergies, eye surgery, menopause, HCT, aging, not blinking enough, the reaction from other medication can be linked with the condition.
Symptoms : The symptoms of dry eyes vary depending upon the severity of the condition. At its first stage, the patient may feel a burning sensation, redness, and irritation of the eyes.
When the symptoms develop it may appear as strong pain in the eyes, difficulties in eyelid movement, blurred vision, etc. Frequent medication, home remedies can relieve this situation.
Case Study : Dry eyes are a common problem in the United States. A study reveals that the situation is common for middle-aged people. Over 4.8 million people over the age of 50 have dry eye problems.
Research says, this mostly affects middle-aged women more than the men in America. Dry eyes may get severe as the patient ages. So, try to treat it from its beginning stage.
Does Humidifier Help with Dry Eyes?
Yes, a humidifier does help with dry eyes. In fact, it is the most effective way for treating dry eyes at home.
The humidifier adds moisture to the air. It maintains a humidity level between 30-50%.This humidity level helps in the slow evaporation of the eyes. As a result, the eyes can retain their exact moisture.
Apart from that, excessive moisture more than 55% triggers irritation and redness in the eyes. So, maintaining the balance of humidity in the air is important. For that reason, many medical practitioners recommend using a humidifier as a treatment for dry eyes syndrome.
Even when the moisture level is moderate, people can suffer from dry eyes. The reason can be using the wrong type of humidifier. There are three types of humidifier which are:
- Warm mist
- Cool mist
- Evaporative
The warm mist humidifier can make the room slightly hot. In a heated environment, you could evaporate the water quicker. So, it may not work for dry eye syndrome.
A cool-mist humidifier is an ideal option for treating dry eyes syndrome. In a cool must environment, you will evaporate water slower than the other.
Apart from that, you can use them all year round, especially in dry climates. Experts suggest 45% of humidity is best for healthy eyes.
The evaporative humidifier works in the same way as the cool mist does. But the only difference is that it evaporates water more quickly than the cool mist using its fan.
In spite of that, the evaporated water creates vapor in the room and increases the humidity level very soon. So it can not maintain the actual humidity in the room required to treat dry eyes syndrome.
Is High Humidity Bad for Dry Eyes?
Too low a humidity level or too much of it is not good for the eyes. Too low humidity dries out the tears of eyes quickly.
While excessive humidity creates excessive moisture around the eyes. It leads to irritation and frequent eye redness. However, excessive humidity may affect vision also.
Imbalanced humidity not only affects the eyes but also is a hazard for health. Excessive humidity in the air allows the bacteria and mold to grow. This condition may invite unexpected diseases like allergies, asthma, etc.
Healthy humidity contributes to a healthy environment and maintains good health for the body and eyes. In that case, you can buy a hydrometer to measure moisture in the air.
What is the Best Humidity Level for Eyes?
Normally 50% to 60% humidity level is enough for healthy eyes.
A low level of humidity helps the air in quicker moisture evaporation. As a result the body and the skin, eyes will quickly evaporate.
Southern Ontario maintains a particular humidity level of 55%-70%. But the parched Alberts has a humidity level of 35%-35%.
Dry eyes happen due to a lack of lubrication in eyes. One of the effective treatments is the use of a humidifier. Proper lubrication maintains a healthy air quality that contributes to human health and the eyes.
Set the humidifier at 50%-60%, and enjoy the benefits. It helps in the slow evaporation of moisture in the air. So, you can stay irritation-free and get relief from the redness of the eyes.
Less than 45% humidity can have a reverse effect on your eyes. So, try to keep the humidity at a moderate level.
Our Overall Favorite Humidifier for Dry Eyes?
A cool-mist ultrasonic humidifier is one of the ideal ways to treat dry eyes syndrome. This humidifier helps in the better vaporization of water.
Everlasting Comfort Cool Mist Humidifier is the top choice from our views. The water tank capacity is 6 liter (1.6 gallons) with a adjustable mist output which means you can use it for 50 straight hours. Comes with an LED night light that gives your room an ambient look during the night.
Everlasting Comfort Cool Mist Humidifier is equipped with a Auto Shut Down that allows it to automatically shut down when it’s out of water. This humidifier runs in a nearly silent mode(less than 30 DB). So It also can be used as a baby humidifier.
Apart from that an Essential Oil Tray is also provided with this which helps you to experience a customized aromatherapy treatment with a clean, pure and fresh smelling aroma at your home.
Other benefits include a compact filter less design for any type of décor and its ultrasonic technology.
Final Words
Now you know that not all humidifiers release moisture in the same way. So, you should be a little choosy to buy them for treating dry eyes.
Always keep the humidifier clean. Otherwise, it will build up a layer of scale in the water tank. As soon as these particles get emitted to it, it causes health problems.
Pro Tips : If you are using a humidifier for dry eyes, then keep it just beside you while sleeping. Keep a check on the humidity level.
Make sure to run the humidifier only when you need it. Keep the interior doors and windows open for adjusting the humidity level.
If the humidifier is causing breathing problems, then immediately contact your doctor.
However, a humidifier is not the only way to treat dry eyes. There are other medications also. So, make sure you are having the right treatment for treating dry eyes. Take care of your precious eyes.
So, stop searching for “does humidifier help with dry eyes?”, as now you know the answer.