Dehydration of the body occurs when there is a lack of fluid intake. With water exiting our body every day through sweat and urination, it’s essential to replace the same amount of fluid being released to maintain a healthy balance. Staying hydrated also helps your body’s organs to function properly. The skin, blood, heart, and kidneys are just a few body parts that are affected by dehydration. Dehydration can cause headaches, poor circulation, dizziness, lack of tear production, and more. You may even be wondering: “does dehydration affect vision?” It certainly does.
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What Happens
When the body experiences a loss of fluid, it tries to save any amount that is left in the body. Areas where fluid naturally flows, like sweat, tears, and saliva, slowly starts to dry up. This can cause lightheadedness, sleepiness, cramps, along with organs not functioning properly.
How Does Dehydration Affect Vision?
During dehydration, the eyes stop producing tears, causing a lack of eye lubrication.
Dry Eye
Tears and proper lubrication to the eyes are important because they help wash away any unfamiliar and unwanted matter in the eye. By flushing out the eye and keeping it clear from debris buildup, tears also help prevent eye infection from occurring. When there is a lack of lubrication, as mentioned above, you are more susceptible to dry eye. Dry eye can cause a load of discomfort ranging from blurred vision, watery eyes, itchiness, and the feeling of something being stuck in your eye. These can all prevent you from having the proper vision to perform daily tasks.
Dry eye can also be caused by looking at a screen for too long. You may not notice it, but when you stare at a digital screen, you blink less. Blinking is what helps the eye to replenish and stay hydrated. When there is a lack of hydration and a lack of blinking due to screen staring, you will become more vulnerable to receiving dry eye.
Dehydration also affects your ability to wear contact lenses, as they require an adamant amount of moisture, especially when worn for a long period of time. If you wear contact lenses, keep yourself accountable to drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day to reduce your risk of dry eye.
Eye Strain
When you cannot see properly due to dehydration, it is common to strain your eyes when trying to focus on something. Because your eyes may be tired or you are experiencing blurred vision, straining your eyes may help you see something better in the moment, but it will only cause more headaches and fatigue in the end. Eye strain is caused by the lack of lubrication in one’s eye, which is why it’s important to hydrate properly to avoid such symptoms.
If you’re still wondering, “does dehydration affect vision?”, the answer is yes. You can avoid dehydration to the eyes by paying attention to how much fluid intake you get in a single day. It’s a good rule of thumb to try to drink anywhere from 8-10 glasses a day. Water isn’t the most appetizing drink of choice, but there are certainly ways around your taste buds. Adding a slice of lemon, lime, or some type of berry to your water, for example, can aid in getting a good amount of water in your system. You may also want to consider water alternatives, like coconut water, using water in a smoothie, or eating your water with watermelon or celery sticks.
Dehydration can become a life-threatening situation if it’s not handled soon and with the proper care. It can lead to kidney stones, coma, and even death. Here at Advanced Eye Medical, we care about your overall health including the health of your eyes. If you have any questions on how to hydrate your eyes properly so that they don’t affect your vision, we are happy to help. Visit our website to find out more about eye care and preventative measures.