Frequent Eye Irritation May Be Caused By a Serious Problem That Prescription Glasses Can Help

The eyelid is designed to help protect the sensitive eye from irritants, and blinking is an automatic process that assists in this process. Unfortunately, it is possible that your lid may begin blinking less frequently, causing your eye to get irritated and reddened. What is going on here, and how can prescription glasses help?

How Frequent Is "Normal" Blinking?

When your eyes are healthy, they will blink regularly to keep dust and dirt away from your eyes. Failure to do so will cause your eyes to get irritated and can even cause them to redden. Typically a person needs to blink at least three to four times per minute to keep their eyes free from the types of irritants that are present in the air.

While "rapid" blinking may be more common than rare blinking, the latter problem can still occur. This will lead directly to irritated eyes. The most common cause of decreased blinking is a problem known as cranial nerve palsy.

What Is Cranial Nerve Palsy?

There are a variety of nerves in your mind that control eye operation. The first is known as the optic nerve, which helps send visual information from the eye directly to the processing centers of the brain. The other is known as the oculomotor nerve: this nerve controls eye movement and the movement of the eyelid, including blinking. Cranial nerve palsy is a problem that affects this nerve and makes it operate inefficiently or not at all.

This problem is caused by a variety of concerns, such as strokes, diabetes, migraines, or excessive pressure in the cranial cavity. Sometimes a blow to the head can also cause damage that will impair the nerve's operation. As a result, your eye won't blink as often as necessary, and this will cause irritation.

How Prescription Glasses Can Help

Prescription prism glasses will help alleviate this problem by decreasing many of its symptoms (such as double vision) and protecting your eyes from irritants. This is especially crucial for the early stages of treatment, when it may be difficult for you to manage severe irritation. Prescription glasses can also correct any vision problems that may make it more difficult for you to see.

More serious treatments include anti-inflammatory drugs which help decrease swelling and excessive pressure that may be causing damage to the nerve. Other treatments include properly managing diabetes, blood-sugar levels, and even blood pressure.

If you believe you are suffering from this serious problem, talk to an eye doctor, such as one at White Bear Eye Clinic & Optical, immediately to find a solution. They can help prescribe a set of glasses that can correct your vision and protect you from severe cranial nerve palsy.