DRY EYES

Dry eye is a condition caused by a deficiency in tears. This could be due the eyes simply not producing sufficient volume of tears, or due to the tears not being of the right consistency.

Dry eye often makes your eyes feel itchy, gritty and can cause foreign body sensation, rather like having an eyelash in your eye. It can also cause intermittent blurred vision where you need to keep blinking to clear your vision.

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WHAT CAUSES DRY EYE?

The volume of tears the eye produces gradually reduces as we get older. There is also a hormonal element and, as a result, women are more affected by dry eye than men. Certain medications like antihistamines and beta blockers can also reduce tear production. In some cases, dry eye can be part of a more general health condition like Sjogren’s Syndrome which also causes rheumatoid arthritis, and dry mouth.

EVAPORATIVE DRY EYE

If the eye is producing sufficient volume of tears, but, the tears are not of the right consistency, this leads to “evaporative dry eye”. The tear film is a complex structure made up of three layers. If the tear consistency is wrong, the tears do not spread across the front of your eye as a stable film and evaporate rapidly, leading to evaporative dry eye. Patches of dry areas form in the tear film causing symptoms of discomfort. It is believed that the most common cause of evaporative dry eye is meibomian gland dysfunction, also known as posterior blepharitis.

DRY EYE AND CONTACT LENSES

If you wear contact lenses, an underlying dry eye condition can become more symptomatic due to the contact lenses absorbing some of the tears. However, some dry eye suffers actually find their eyes are more comfortable when wearing contact lenses due to the lenses spreading the tears more evenly over the surface of the eyes. If you had to stop wearing contact lenses in the past due to dry eyes, there have been big advances in contact lens technology in recent years and you may be able to wear contact lenses now. Please contact us for advice. You may also be an ideal candidate for EyeDream lenses.

WATERY EYES

If the eyes are dry, this can lead to production of copious amounts of reflex tears in an effort to compensate for the underlying dryness. This can be a paradox where people complaining of watery eyes are sometimes told they actually have dry eyes! The reflex tears are of poor quality, and can cause episodes of blurred vision.

DRY EYE TREATMENT

The main ways to manage your dry eye symptoms are:

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TEARS

Simple measures to reduce the evaporation of tears can help to preserve your natural tears. Central heating and air conditioning can make tears evaporate more rapidly, hence lowering the temperature and using a humidifier, keeping an indoor plant needing frequent watering, or keeping a bowl of water close to the radiators are simple steps which may help. VDU operators often complain of dry eye symptoms due to staring at the screen for too long, hence it is important to make sure you blink regularly.

USING EYE DROPS

There are various eye drops, gels, sprays, and ointments for people suffering from dry eyes. These vary from simple “artificial tears” to supplement your natural tears, to various gels and sprays to help with specific deficiencies in your tears. Ointments are normally used at bedtime and they are needed for people with severe dry eyes who need to keep their eyes lubricated overnight.

We stock a large range of dry eye products including Hylotears®, Systane® and Clinitas® range of gels, sprays and ointments and would be happy to advise you.

ELIMINATING UNDERLYING CAUSES

If you are on any medication which might be making your eyes dry, you can discuss alternatives with your GP. Do not discontinue any prescribed medication without consulting your GP first.

Blepharitis is believed to be a major cause of dry eye symptoms. If you suffer from blepharitis, keeping it under control would normally make a big improvement to dry eye symptoms. The treatment normally consists of lid hygiene, and warm compresses. Some people benefit from oral antibiotic tablets, and/or Omega 3 and 6 supplements. For more information, see our blepharitis page.

We stock Blephasol® range of lid hygiene products and microwaveable bags for hot compresses.

REDUCING THE DRAINING OF TEARS

Stopping your tears from draining away may help your tears to stay in your eye for longer and help ease your dry eye symptoms. This is done by inserting small silicone “punctal plugs” into the openings of your tear ducts. Contact us for more information.