Do your eyes feel irritated, painful, or tired? You may be suffering from dry eyes. This common eye disease occurs when your tears don’t lubricate your eyes properly. Learn more about the symptoms, causes, and treatment options below. 

A Guide to Dry Eyes

What Are the Symptoms and Causes?

The most common symptoms of dry eyes include red eyes, watery eyes, eye fatigue, blurred vision, stringy mucus in or around the eyes, and a burning or otherwise painful sensation in the eyes. 

All dry eyes are caused by a lack of tears. However, people experience a lack of tears for different reasons. The most common reasons include decreased tear production and increased tear evaporation. Decreased tear production can occur due to factors like aging, certain medications such as decongestants and antihistamines, and certain medical conditions such as diabetes, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and thyroid disorders. Increased tear evaporation can occur due to factors like in-turning or out-turning of the eyelids, exposure to smoke, wind, or dry air, and infrequent blinking. 

Dry eyes can also be caused by an imbalance in tear composition. Your tear film consists of a water layer, a mucus layer, and an oil layer. If any of these layers experience issues, such as clogging or thinning, you may get dry eyes.

What Are the Treatment Options?

Some cases of dry eyes aren’t completely curable. However, there are a variety of ways to relieve the symptoms of this eye disease. If you have a mild case, you may experience relief by blinking more often, taking computer breaks at least every 20 minutes, using glasses rather than contact lenses, applying lubricating eye drops like artificial tears, and taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements. 

If your symptoms are more severe, possible sources of relief include taking prescription eye drops like Restasis or Xiidra, which can lubricate the eyes, reduce inflammation, and stimulate tear production. Another remedy is to use punctal plugs, which are small devices inserted into tear drainage duct openings to keep tears on the surface of your eyes longer. There is also a procedure called the meibomian gland expression that slows the evaporation of the tear film by unclogging the meibomian glands. 

Concerned about dry eyes? Turn to Wise Vision Care in Elizabethtown, KY. Dr. Teresa Wise and her caring team have been treating a wide variety of eye diseases for 25 years. They’ll help you get to the bottom of your dry eyes and develop a personalized treatment plan. Learn more about their comprehensive services online, and call (270) 769-3708 to schedule an appointment.