Dry eyes, no artificial tears… Shout out "Hee-ha-cheese-cheek-ha" for free and eco-friendly relief.

The season has arrived, with the air becoming drier and the cold winds blowing. Both dry and cold air are terrible for your eyes. The tear film that covers the surface of your eyes evaporates, leaving you with a stinging, sticky sensation. Redness and blurred vision can also occur. Artificial tears can help alleviate the symptoms. However, artificial tears are vulnerable to contamination, and microplastics have recently been detected. For those who are hesitant to use artificial tears, or for those who don't have access to them right now, a new study offers good news: simply smiling can alleviate dry eye symptoms as effectively as artificial tears.

◇If you smile in the order of hee-ha-cheese-cheek-ha, dry eyes will be relieved.

A recent study published in the British Medical Journal found that laughter exercises are as effective as artificial tears containing 0.1% sodium hyaluronate in improving dry eye symptoms. A research team at Sun Yat-sen University in China divided 299 adults with mild dry eye into two groups: a laughter exercise group (149 people) and an artificial tear group (150 people). For eight weeks, the laughter exercise group said "hihihi, hahahaha, cheese cheese cheese, cheek cheek cheek, hahahahahahaha" four times a day for at least five minutes, repeating the phrases 30 times. The artificial tear group instilled artificial tears into their eyes. While the laughter exercise group exercised, a customized facial recognition app tracked whether they were actually exercising. Follow-up examinations were conducted at eight, ten, and twelve weeks. The results showed that both groups showed similar improvements in dry eye symptoms. The laughter exercise was even slightly more effective. Both groups experienced significant reductions in the ODI score. The laughter exercise group saw a 10.5-point decrease, while the artificial tear group saw a 8.83-point decrease. At the 12-week examination, the percentage of participants whose ODI score decreased by 10 or more points was similar in the laughter exercise group (49.3%) and the control group (47.3%). The research team stated, "There were no side effects in either group," and "Considering its safety, environmental friendliness, and low cost, laughter exercise appears to be a potential first-line treatment for people with mild dry eye."

 

◇Laughter exercise stimulates the muscles around the eyes, stimulating tear production and oil glands.

So how on earth did this work? Dr. Kim Gyun-hyung, director of Central Seoul Eye Clinic, said, "Our eyes have several glands that supply moisture and oil, and it seems that the muscles around the eyes contract during the laughing exercise, squeezing the glands." He added, "This is a fun method that can help patients with mild dry eye."

However, it may not be very effective for patients with severe dry eye. Those who continue to have dry eye symptoms despite frequent use of artificial tears are considered to have severe dry eye. Their eyes feel not only gritty but also sting and feel like sand is rolling around in them. Patients with severe dry eye are advised to visit a hospital for treatment. If left untreated, the ducts through which the oil glands drain can become blocked, destroying the oil glands or causing neuropathy. Patients with a deficient aqueous layer may undergo punctal occlusion surgery to block the ducts through which tears drain, while those with a deficient oil layer may undergo IPL, light therapy, or Lipiflow. IPL is a treatment that melts and squeezes oil to promote normal oil production, while Lipiflow applies heat to the eye to drain the oil.

 

◇To prevent this, you should look away from the monitor every 30 minutes.

Along with alleviating dry eye symptoms, prevention efforts should also be combined to quickly improve symptoms. To prevent dry eye, avoid straining your eyes throughout the day. If you're looking at a monitor, it's a good idea to close your eyes or take a break from viewing for a minute or two every 30 minutes. Wash your eyelids to cleanse the oil glands that produce oil. Washing your face once in the morning and once before bed is sufficient. Maintaining indoor humidity above 60% and drinking water regularly to replenish moisture are also helpful. Maintaining a 7-8 hour sleep schedule is also crucial.

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◇If you smile in the order of hee-ha-cheese-cheek-ha, dry eyes will be relieved.

I need to move the muscles on the cheek a bit.

It seems to help relieve dry eyes.