Why are my eyes dry?
You might have dry eye if your eyes feel irritated, watery and sore. It is an increasingly common eye condition caused primarily by a problem with tears.
There are several other causes of dry eye, including certain medications, contact lenses and natural aging. Although it can’t be reversed, there is much you can do to manage the symptoms. You can take our Questionnaire below if you think you might be suffering from Dry Eye.
Dry eye is an eye condition caused by a problem with tears. Dry eye can make your eye feel uncomfortable, red, scratchy and irritated. Despite the name, having dry eye can also make your eyes watery. Typically, dry eye doesn’t cause a permanent change in your vision. It can make your eyesight blurry for short periods of time, but the blurriness will go away on its own or improve when you blink.
Normally, dry eye affects both eyes but sometimes one eye is affected more than the other. Sometimes dry eye can make it feel like you’ve got something in your eye such as an eyelash or a piece of grit, even when there is nothing there. Your eyes may water more than usual.
Most of the time, dry eye just causes discomfort and can be well controlled with the use of eye drops. Once you have dry eye, you tend to be always prone to it, but you will probably find that there are times when it is better than others.
Very rarely, in severe cases, dry eye can be very painful and the dryness can cause permanent damage to the front of your eye. The severity of these problems depends on the cause. Medically, dry eye is known as keratoconjunctivitis sicca.
Dry Eye is usually more common as we get older. As we age, our eyelids aren’t as good at spreading tears each time we blink. The various glands in our eyes that produce tears may also become less effective. Essentially, the quality of something known as your tear film gets worse.
While dry eye can occur at any age, it is more common in women, especially after the menopause. Changes in hormonal levels such as in pregnancy and menopause can contribute to dry eye. The following can also affect your tear film and contribute to dry eye:
- Blepharitis and meibomian gland dysfunction
- Medication
- Contact lenses
- Other health conditions
You cannot cure dry eye but there are some treatments that can help your eyes feel more comfortable. If your dry eye is caused by medication, then your GP may consider switching your medication to another. If your dry eye is caused by wearing contact lenses, then having a break from your lenses may help the dry eye to improve.
Often dry eye is caused by getting older, which can’t be helped, but there is treatment that can help with your symptoms. There are three main ways to help your dry eye:
- making the most of your natural tears
- using artificial tears (eye drops)
- reducing the drainage of the tears
Is there anything I can do to help with dry eye?
There are many things that you can try to help you manage it better:
- Use eye drops regularly. Finding eye drops that work for you can make a huge difference. You can book a Dry Eye Clinic appointment with one of our experienced opticians to help you to find the right one.
- Adjust your environment. Lowering temperature and using a humidifier may help, as central heating and air conditioning can worsen your symptoms. Avoid dusty, windy and smoky areas or use wrap-around glasses when you are exposed to these environments.
- Take rest periods and remember to blink often when you are using the computer, watching television and reading.
- Try to have a healthy balanced diet, with flax seed as well as foods containing omega 3 and 6, such as oily fish, nuts, seeds, eggs, green leafy vegetables, etc.
- Avoid using eye make-up when there’s infection or inflammation present.
- If you wear contact lenses, have regular Contact Lens Aftercare appointments. You may need a break from wearing contact lenses if your eyes are dry, or explore different types of lenses which may be more suitable for dry eye.
- Try using an Optase Moist Heat Mask or the Peep Club Wand Pro to gently warm and massage the eyelids, which encourages secretions to lubricate the tear film.
Finding the right eye drops to suit you and trying different things to help cope with the symptoms of dry eye can take some time and commitment. Although there is no cure for dry eye, most people will learn how to manage their dry eye so that it doesn’t have too much impact on their everyday lives, and our Optometrists are on hand to help you find the best solution to your particular needs.