What Is Dry Eye?
Dry eye disease is when your tears are not sufficient enough to keep your eyes lubricated. This can result in numerous symptoms, that negatively impact your life on a daily basis.
Patients may experience problems with their outer oily layer, middle watery layer, or the inner mucin layer. Each layer can cause dry eye, which is why it's essential that your optometrist accurately determines the type of dry eye you have, ensuring the best treatment options are recommended.
Dry Eye Symptoms
The most common symptoms of dry eye disease include:
- Gritty or sandy eyes
- Stinging or burning
- Watering eyes
- Blurred vision that clears when you blink
- Eye fatigue when working on screens
- Light and wind sensitivity
Dry Eye Causes
There are a number of factors that can cause dry eye disease. In fact, approximately eighty-six percent of sufferers have a problem with their oil-producing glands, located in their eyelids, known as the meibomian glands. They can cause your tears to evaporate too quickly when blocked or not functioning correctly.
Other factors can include age, screen use, wearing contact lenses, along with taking certain medications. Your dry eyes can also be caused by environmental factors, such as air conditioning, along with autoimmune conditions. Your optometrist will conduct a thorough examination, taking your medical history and overall health into consideration, finding a treatment option that provides you with relief..
Dry Eye Treatment Options
How your dry eyes are treated is based on the type and severity of your condition. During your assessment, the optometrist identifies the type you have, making an accurate recommendation that may include:
- Lid hygiene with warm compresses to unblock the glands and restore the oily layer
- Lubricating eye drops that are matched to your specific dry eye type
- Omega-3 supplements which improve tear film quality, if you take them consistently
- Minor eye procedure, that may include plugging the tear drainage ducts, helping your tears stay on your eye for longer
- Prescriptions that may include anti-inflammatory eye drops or immunomodulators, only prescribed in severe cases
Written by the EyeSmile clinical team — dental and optical clinicians in Whitton, Twickenham. This article is for general information only and does not constitute clinical advice.
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