Everybody sometimes has dry eyes, whether it’s from outdated contact lenses, allergies, or a seasonal cold. However, symptoms of dry eye syndrome might be a regular part of a person’s life rather than simply an occasional occurrence.

Contents

1 What Is Dry Eye Syndrome?
2 Symptoms
3 Wearing Contacts With Dry Eye Syndrome
4 When to See a Healthcare Provider
5 Conclusion

What Is Dry Eye Syndrome?

When your eyes don’t produce enough tears, or the correct sort of tears, to keep your eyes adequately lubricated, you might develop dry eye syndrome (DES), also known as dry eye illness.The disorder is also known medically as keratitis sicca or keratoconjunctivitis sicca. You are not alone in experiencing the annoying sensations of dry eyes. As a matter of fact, this illness affects around 16 million Americans.

Symptoms

The symptoms of dry eyes differ from individual to person. Additionally, the likelihood of acquiring it rises with age, as is the case with many illnesses. A range of symptoms might be experienced, either alone or in conjunction with other symptoms.

Redness

Your eyes may seem bloodshot or red from dry eye. Usually, a coating of tears called “tear film” covers your cornea, or the outer layer of your eye, when you blink. In addition to keeping your eyes moisturized, the tear film shields your eyes from diseases and irritants like dust and eyelashes.

Nevertheless, the inability to produce tears in your eyes is caused by dry eye syndrome. Blinking may irritate your eyes because it pushes on a dry cornea when there is insufficient lubricant in your eyes. Consequently, the blood vessels in the sclera the white portion of the eye may enlarge and become red.

Redness in some forms of dry eye may be brought on by a disorder known as meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). On your eyelids, there are tiny oil glands called meibomian glands that secrete oil and protect the tear film. A deficiency of oil production by your meibomian glands might aggravate dry eye and cause irritation.

Difficulty Blinking

You may not be able to produce the proper quantity of tears and oil necessary to preserve your tear film if you have dry eye syndrome. For your eyelashes to glide over when you blink, they need a smooth surface.

Consider this: while you can ride a dry water slide, the experience will not be smooth. Dry eyes may produce friction that makes it uncomfortable to blink without the right lubricant.

Stinging or Burning

Usually, burning or stinging sensations come when your eyes are unable to produce enough tears or oil.

Your eyelids need to blink in order to secrete the oil that protects your tear film. Without the lubrication that this oil provide, your eyes might hurt.

Tear production may be impeded by dry eye syndrome. A burning feeling may occur in your cornea if there is insufficient tear production.

Scratchy Eyes

Your eyes may feel gritty, scratchy, or sandy when your tears aren’t lubricating them as they should like something is caught in there and causing persistent irritation. The term “foreign body sensation” describes this sense.

Usually, the tear film acts as a barrier between the eyeball and the eyelid. Dry patches that irritate your eyes might appear on your tear film if you have dry eyes. Fortunately, with therapy that keeps your eyes hydrated, these dry areas may heal and are not permanent.

Dry Eye-Caused Blurry Vision

After your tear film has been lubricated, your eyesight should look normal to you. Your eyes may become fuzzy and have a dry tear film if you have dry eye.

An explanation of the need of a healthy tear film for good vision was provided by a research published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. The tear film is the layer of your eye that is exposed to light initially. Your eyesight may become distorted as the tear film dries up.

One typical symptom of dry eyes that might come and go is blurry vision. Your eyes were closed as you slept, which may explain why you had good eyesight in the morning. The dryness may start to set in as soon as you wake up and make your eyesight hazy.

Treatments such as frequent use of artificial tears (eye drops used to lubricate the eye) may help heal your tear film. You can see an improvement in your eyesight as your tear film begins to function better.

Light Sensitivity

Changes to your tear film may also result in light sensitivity, much like hazy vision. The tear film allows light to enter your eye first. Even though the tear film is normally smooth and moisturized, dry eye might result in unevenness or dry areas that can increase your sensitivity to light.

Some individuals with dry eyes may momentarily become sensitive to light. Some people can always be sensitive to daylight or nighttime glare from streetlights or headlights. Another name for light sensitivity is photophobia.

When exposed to light, those who have photophobia may squint or close their eyes. Additionally, the degree of pain varies. When light meets the nerve endings in the eye, some individuals may suffer excruciating agony. Some people could remark that it’s too bright or that they have to shut their eyes.

Eye Strain and Fatigue

Long lengths of time spent gazing at computer or phone displays may cause eye tiredness. These routines may alter how often you blink. Although eye tiredness may affect anybody, those who have dry eyes may be more susceptible to strained or fatigued eyes. People blink once every 22 minutes on average. People who spend excessive amounts of time on digital gadgets often blink more than half as often as they should.

Because it lubricates your eyes and maintains the health of your tear film, blinking is crucial. The tear film may be harmed by dry eye, and it may become worse by eye strain. When you read or drive, for example, or engage in any other activity that demands strong attention, you may find that you blink less.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends using the 20/20/20 rule of thumb to prevent eye fatigue: every 20 minutes, take a break and focus on anything 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

Inability to Cry

If you find it difficult to cry while you’re feeling upset, you may have dry eyes. Not being able to let out your emotions via tears when you feel like you should may be a difficult experience.

Some individuals with dry eyes may believe that their inability to weep is a result of their difficulty expressing their feelings. Actually, what’s going on is that there aren’t enough tears in your eyes.

On the other hand, there are more reasons why tears may not be flowing, such adverse drug reactions or living in a dry or windy place. It’s also a defining feature of Sjogren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease that lowers saliva and tears produced by the body. Discuss being tested for Sjogren’s syndrome with your healthcare professional if you see that your dry mouth is accompanied by dry eyes.

Watery Eyes

Some individuals may not be able to weep at all, while others may cry too much. Although it may seem illogical, moist eyes may also be a sign of dry eyes.

Researchers hypothesize that evaporative dry eye syndrome, a subtype of dry eye, is the origin of this condition. Evaporative dry eye, the most prevalent sort of dry eye condition, is caused by inadequate tear production.

To keep your eyes safe, tears must have a certain ratio of water, oil, and mucus. Insufficient oil production in the eyes may result from malfunctioning meibomian glands, which create the oil that coats the tear film. Your eyes retain more tears when you use the oil produced by your meibomian glands. Tears that are overly watery or evaporate too quickly might be caused by insufficient oil.

Stringy Mucus in the Eye

This symptom is more prevalent in patients with moderate to severe dry eye and may coexist with other illnesses, such as an allergy or infection.

When they blink, those with dry eyes who don’t generate enough oil or tears to maintain the tear film may feel strain or friction. In an attempt to compensate for the loss of moisture in your eyes, the tear film attempts to produce mucus when this occurs.

The mucus often appears as a stringy discharge that emerges from your eyes. Rather of rubbing your eyes, consider using a clean tissue to gently remove any mucus that starts to come out of them. Excessive rubbing might exacerbate your disease by causing irritation in your eyes.

Wearing Contacts With Dry Eye Syndrome

Nearly half of contact lens users report feeling dry while wearing their lenses for extended periods of time, according to a research published in Contact Lens and Anterior Eye. As a result of your eyes producing less tears, using contact lenses for an extended period of time might cause dryness.

You may not necessarily have dry eye syndrome in light of this. You may want to be checked, however, if using your contact lenses suddenly becomes unpleasant and you start experiencing other symptoms of dry eyes.

When to See a Healthcare Provider

There are several symptoms associated with dry eye condition. You may be able to control your moderate case of dry eye by making lifestyle adjustments like using over-the-counter eye drops and taking frequent computer breaks.

Don’t put off seeing your healthcare practitioner if you start to experience more pain or other symptoms. It is quite possible to control dry eye. On the other hand, more severe problems that might cause visual loss could develop if you don’t get treatment.

Consult your eye care professional (such as an ophthalmologist or optometrist) about being tested if you start to experience typical dry eye symptoms. They can provide you with an accurate diagnosis and assist in identifying the cause of your symptoms.

Conclusion

When your eyes struggle to produce enough tears or the correct sort of tears, it’s called dry eye. Many bothersome symptoms, including redness, hazy vision, light sensitivity, and trouble blinking, driving, and reading, may be experienced by those with dry eye syndrome.

Fortunately, there are several options for treating dry eye condition. Early testing may assist your healthcare practitioner in determining the most appropriate course of therapy for you. Ultimately, this might help prevent the worsening of your illness and eventually protect your eyesight.