What is Dry Eye Syndrome?
Most of us experience dry eye at one point or another. Maybe from visiting a hot or windy city, or maybe from staring at a computer screen too long. There are several causes of dry eye, and hopefully your experience with dry eye is only temporary and easily remedied. If you stare at a computer screen all day, for instance, simply stopping to blink can help alleviate symptoms. However, many people experience dry eye syndrome, and have dry eye on a regular basis. This can be uncomfortable and irritating and can get worse over time. So what are the causes of dry eye syndrome, and what can your optometrist do to help?
What is Dry Eye Syndrome?
Dry eye syndrome (or keratitis sicca) refers to the decreased quality or quantity of tears. There is also keratoconjunctivitis sicca which refers to eye dryness that affects both the cornea and conjunctiva (The thin, normally clear, moist membrane that covers the “white” of the eye (sclera) and the inner surface of the eyelids). Tears contain different elements, including oils produced by glands called meibomian glands. These oils prevent your tears from evaporating. If you have dry eye syndrome your glands are not producing enough tears, or there is a dysfunction in the output of oil, which causes the tears to evaporate too quickly. The latter cause is called evaporative dry eye and is the most common cause of dry eye syndrome.
Dry Eye Symptoms
Dry eye symptoms include dryness, scratchiness, red eyes, and burning sensations in the eye. One dry eye symptom that may seem odd is having watery eyes. It’s counter-intuitive, but sometimes the dryness of the eye’s surface will overstimulate production of tears in an effort to protect your eye.
Dry Eye Causes
There are so many causes of dry eyes, which is why it is important to see an optometrist if you are having symptoms or notice that symptoms have become worse over time (which is very common). Determining the cause is the first step in creating a plan to help alleviate your symptoms.
Dry Eye Causes:
Contact lens wear
The aging process (especially during menopause in women)
Medications including antihistamines, antidepressants, some blood pressure medicines, Parkinson’s medications, and birth control pills
Dry, dusty, or windy climates
Cold climates
Pollutants in the air
Home and office air conditioning and heating systems
Staring at computer screens for extended periods of time
Diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, ocular rosacea, or Sjorgren’s syndrome
Incomplete closure of eyelids, eyelid disease, or a deficiency in the tear-producing glands
Smoking
Nutritional deficiency
Dehydration
Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD)
Dry Eye Treatment
The cause of your dry eye will determine the treatment. Your optometrist can help you find exactly the right treatment. Since dry eye syndrome is often chronic and often progressively gets worse it is important to see your optometrist to determine the best way to treat your symptoms.
Eye Drops
Your optometrist can help you determine if you need eye drops, and if so, which eye drops are best for you. Eye drops come in a variety of formulations, and you don’t want to use one that doesn’t address your particular issue or that doesn’t adequately relieve symptoms. Some eye drops have side effects if you use them too often, or sometimes your eyes develop a tolerance to these drops, which can actually cause more redness.
The brand of eye drops we recommend is called Oasis Tears. These drops are preservative-free and provide excellent relief of dry eye symptoms. These drops are available at our office.
There may also be a prescription eye drop that can help such as Restasis, or you may need to consult with your optometrist about options like punctal plugs. A punctual plug is an implant that is inserted in the tear duct, or puncta, of the eye. There are both temporary and permanent punctal plugs. At our office we use punctal plugs from Odyssey, a brand we trust.
There may be other treatments available as well, or your optometrist may recommend using a nutritional supplement like omega-3 fatty acid which has been shown to decrease symptoms of dry eye. Whatever the cause of your dry eye syndrome, there is a treatment that can help. Be sure to contact your optometrist to find the right solution for you.
