Tag: lifestyle

A condition called ‘Dry Eyes’

[Today’s post is about an eye condition called Dry Eyes.

Recently I was talking to a work colleague about this condition. It is a condition that I have also experienced.

For me it presented as really watery eyes in the morning, so much so that it looked like I was crying. When I spoke to the Optometrist I thought it really weird that the condition was called “Dry Eyes” because they were far from dry.

At the time I did a little research to learn more about the condition. It wasn’t until recently that I thought that others would also be interested in what I learned.

So, as most of us are aware, the tears provide moisture and lubrication to help you see and to keep the eyes comfortable.

What’s in a tear?

Tears are a mix of water, oils, mucus and 1500 different special proteins and antibodies that protect the eyes and keep infection at bay. All these ingredients come from special glands around the eye.

So, what is the condition ‘Dry Eyes’?

The condition ‘Dry eyes’ occurs when your tears aren’t able to provide adequate lubrication for your eyes. Tears can be inadequate for many reasons.

What Causes it?

Sometimes, there’s a lack of balance in your tear-flow system. Items such as your air conditioner, heater, or other things around you could dry out your tear film. Other common causes include:

  • Certain medical conditions that affect your ability to make tears, including diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disorders and vitamin A deficiency
  • Side effects of certain medications including antihistamines and decongestants.
  • The natural ageing process, especially menopause
  • Laser eye surgery, though symptoms of dry eyes related to this procedure are usually temporary
  • Tear gland damage from inflammation
  • Or increased tear evaporation, which may be caused by; Wind, smoke or dry air, Blinking less often, for example, while reading, driving or watching a screen, or an imbalance in tear composition
There are several different symptoms.

For some it creates a scratchy sensation or the feeling that something is in the eye.

Sometimes, dry eyes create too many tears. This confusing condition is called reflex tearing. It happens because the lack of moisture irritates your eye. It sends a distress signal through your nervous system for more lubrication. Your body sends a flood of tears to try to make up for the dryness.

Other symptoms include stinging or burning, discharge, pain, and redness in the eye. People with dry eye may also feel as if their eyelids are heavy and may experience blurred vision.   

 How Are Dry Eyes Treated?

There are a number of options. Mild dry eye symptoms may be treated with over-the-counter medications such as artificial tears, gels, and ointments. Many types of drops are available over the counter. No one product works for everyone, so you might have to try a few to figure out the one that’s right for you.

There are also environmental and lifestyle changes you can make. Changes like reducing screen time and taking periodic eye breaks may help. Closing the eyes for a few minutes, or blinking repeatedly for a few seconds, may help to replenish tears and spread them more evenly across the eyes.

(Sources  – www.nei.nih.gov, www.webmd.com, www.mayoclinic.org)

I hope that you also found this information helpful. If you find you have ‘dry eye’ symptoms, it’s best to ask your eye care professional what to do. My own condition improved after just a couple of weeks using an over-the-counter eye drops.

Till the next post,

Live clean n Prosper

New Years Resolutions

Happy New Year

Thank you for joining me for yet another year of thoughts, research and recipes.

Todays post is all about New Year resolutions. The beginning of a new year is a great time to take stock – to think of all that has gone before and all the exciting things that are to come.

It is also a time that many people choose to make resolutions to bring about changes.

We have all done this; made resolutions to lose weight, get fitter, drink less or eat healthier. Talking to friends and colleagues it would be fair to say that many of us don’t succeed in making the changes we resolved to make.

Maybe this is because change is hard. It makes us feel uncomfortable.

To quote a book – Changing Habits, Changing Lives by Cyndi O’Meara – “Change is one of the scariest things to do – people like to sit in their comfort zone and continue the habits they have because it takes less energy.”

How long does it take to create a new habit?

There are several books, articles and apps available to help you form a habit, and many of those are built on the assumption that all you need is 21 days.

This number comes from a widely popular 1960 book called Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz.

However, according to a 2009 study, the time it takes to form a habit really isn’t that clear-cut. Researchers from the University College London examined the new habits of 96 people over the space of 12 weeks, and found that the average time it takes for a new habit to stick is actually 66 days; furthermore, individual times varied from 18 to 254 days.

Interestingly, the researchers also found that “missing one opportunity to perform the behaviour did not materially affect the habit formation process.”

In other words, establishing a new behaviour doesn’t require perfection, just your best, most consistent effort across a long period of time. Making resolutions and building better habits is not an all-or-nothing process.   Sources – www.sciencealert.com www.psychologytoday.com/au

To make a change you have to make a start.

Once you have made your resolutions, the truth is that it will probably take you anywhere from two months to eight months to build a new behaviour into your life. However, once making the commitment to yourself, make a start. If you want to make changes, you need to put in the effort, as there is no one who can do it for you.

Take small steps

Over the years we have purchased several different books on lifestyle, health etc. Recently I was reviewing 2 of these – Simple Changes by Phillip Day and the Four Day Win by Martha Beck.

These books, along with Changing Habits, Changing Lives, all have a similar theme, which is to start small and work towards your goal.

If a healthier diet is your goal, try small steps like drinking 2 extra glasses of water a day or changing what you eat for breakfast or even just eating salad twice a week. Once you start incorporating one of these steps into your routine, add the next one.

Making small achievable changes, one at a time, over a period of time is easier than trying to change everything overnight.

The information from these books that really hit home for me was that the only person we are answerable to is ourselves.

If we miss a day or lose our way, we can start again.

I hope this helps you with your resolutions and achieving your new goals.

Till the next post,

Live clean n prosper

First Post for a new year

Happy New Year

A new year and a time for re-evaluation and making plans for the year ahead.

Thank you for joining me for another year of thoughts, research and recipes.

I have decided to make a change this year and post every second week instead of every week.

This is to enable you to have time to read the post and respond if you would like. I would love to hear from you.

Email me any questions in relation to my posts or recipes. My vision for this blog was for it to be somewhat interactive as well as informative. If I write about a topic that you would like to know more about, let me know.

I have also created a Recipe page where I have copied across all of the recipes so far. If I write a post that contains a recipe, I will also copy it to the recipe page.

Live Clean n Prosper has always been about sharing information we have learned or as we learn about it. For this reason, Scott’s studies will continue to be a catalyst for some of my posts. Along the way, we are also learning more about our own health, bodies and diet.

A couple of points that I think are important are;

  • It’s not about finding the ‘right diet, it’s about changing your lifestyle. Short-term diets don’t really last and we don’t learn how to make sustainable change.
  • The trick is to find what suits you and your situation; don’t just follow the latest ‘fad’ in the media. What works for one person, doesn’t always work for someone else.
  • I also think the 85-90% rule is important. Sticking to your meal plans and exercise routines 85 to 90% of the time allows for enjoying the occasional day of binge TV and take away.
  • Most important of all, is finding time to relax and have some ‘me’ time. I learned the hard way many years ago. That not spending enough time to look after you, leads to poor physical and mental health.
  • Last but not least – If you get off track, just make a new goal and start again.

So with that all in mind, here we come 2018!

Till the next post,

Live clean n Prosper