Are your eyes constantly red, itchy, or watery? You could be suffering from dry eyes. A fairly common problem, dry eyes occur when your eyes don’t produce enough tears or produce poor quality tears, which tend to rapidly evaporate from the surface of the eyes. This is caused by an imbalance in your team film, which is made up of a mucus, water, and oil. Meibomian glands produce the oils on the top later of the tear film, and often, dry eye is caused as these glands become blocked.
When the surface of the eye becomes dry, it becomes inflamed. This is what causes them to become red, swollen, irritated, and ironically, more watery.
Who gets Dry Eyes?
While anyone can get dry eyes, the condition is more common in women, especially during menopause due to the hormonal changes. People who are over the age of 60 are also more likely to experience dry eyes.
In addition to age and hormone changes, other factors that can contribute to dry eye syndrome include:
- Smoking
- Lack of blinking (usually associated with excessive screen time)
- Wearing contact lenses
- Dry climates or exposure to wind
- Inflammatory diseases
- Medications such as antihistamines, hormone therapy, and antidepressants
Symptoms of Dry Eyes
Signs and symptoms of dry eyes may vary from person to person; however, the most common effects of dry eye include:
- Irritated or gritty eyes (usually worse in the morning)
- The sensation of having something in your eye
- Redness
- A burning sensation
- Sensitivity to light
- Blurred vision
- Excessive tearing or watery eyes
Bear in mind that symptoms may also vary in degree of severity. Some people may experience mild irritation while others may have to deal with severe discomfort.
Can Dry Eyes lead to vision loss?
Fortunately, it’s unlikely that dry eyes will lead to loss of vision. That being said, in severe cases where the cornea may become scarred, dry eyes could lead to visual deterioration.
Book your Dry Eye Assessment
While there is no cure for dry eyes, there are ways to manage symptoms and reduce discomfort, such as using eye drops, warm compresses and cleaning your eyelid margins every day.
If you think you may be suffering from dry eyes, it may be worth booking a dry eye assessment so we can assess the surface of your eyes, including your tear film, and determine the right management program for you. Get in touch to book yours today.