Dry eyes syndrome is a common condition where your eyes don’t make enough tears or the tears evaporate too quickly. Dry eyes affect millions of people across the globe so you’re not on your own.
When you suffer from dry eyes it causes a scratching sensation or a feeling that something gritty is in your eye. Other symptoms could include stinging, burning, excessive tears followed by a dry spell, discharge from the eye, pain or redness in the eye, heavy eyelids or blurred vision.
Although there isn’t a specific cause of dry eye disease there are some factors which may attribute to it:
- Aging – Dry eye syndrome is more common in older people. This may be because you produce fewer tears as you get older, and your eyelids become less effective at spreading tears over the surface of the eyes.
- Certain medications may dry the eyes;
- Some illnesses, such as arthritis, diabetes, thyroid disorders, and Vitamin A deficiency can cause dry eyes
- Wearing contact lenses for extended time periods
- Exposure to air conditioning, central heating or windy environments increase tear evaporation
- Damage to the eyelids due to an eye injury may be a cause
- Dry eyes can result from inflammation of the eyelids
- Prolonged periods of screen time encourage insufficient blinking
- Women are more likely to develop dry eye. Hormonal changes during pregnancy and after menopause have been linked with dry eye
John Lewis Opticians runs a specialist dry eyes clinic which will ensure you get an accurate diagnosis and your dry eye condition isn’t mixed up with another condition. Once our specialist optician has given you a comprehensive eye examination, they will measure the volume of your tears and check their quality. They will talk you through some treatment options which work for you and your lifestyle.