common eye conditions

Dry Eye

iStock-1158023935.jpg

What is it?

Your eyes must be kept wet and lubricated in order to remain healthy and comfortable. Dry eye occurs if:

  • not enough tears are being made

  • the tears don’t contain the right fluids

  • the tears aren’t distributed correctly across the eye

  • the tears don’t stay on the eye long enough

People who don’t make the correct kind of tears or have problems with their eyelids can have symptoms of tearing even though their eyes are actually dry. Symptoms of dry eye are a scratchy, gritty, foreign body sensation. The eyes may become red when dry.  

Causes

Dry eye is most commonly a result of not producing enough tears. This occurs frequently in older patients, especially women after menopause. Dry eye can be a side effect of some medications and can also be associated with other medical problems including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and thyroid disease.

Treatment

Dry eye is treated by addressing any problem with the eyelids or other underlying causes. Artificial tears are then used to improve eye wetness. Temporary plugs to close tear ducts (puncta) or surgery to close the puncta are also treatments.