Dry Eye

Normally, our eyes continue to produce tears to keep our eyes moist, healthy, and comfortable. However, if your eyes don’t produce enough tears or when your tears evaporate, this results in dry eye.

What Causes Dry Eye

Dry eye syndrome occurs when the tear film is not healthy. This can lead to insufficient tear production or the production of the wrong type of tears.

A healthy tear film consists of three layers: fatty oils, aqueous fluid, and mucus. This combination is what keeps your eyes well-lubricated, smooth, and clear. Disruption to any of these layers can cause dry eyes.

Tear film dysfunction can happen for many reasons. These include hormonal changes, autoimmune diseases, long screen time, wearing contact lenses, and some medications. If you previously had eye surgery, such as LASIK, this can lead to this eye condition, too.

Symptoms & Risk Factors

Symptoms of dry eye syndrome may affect both eyes. These include:

• • Discomfort
• • Redness
• • Blurred Vision
• • Itchiness
• • Watery eyes

Certain risk factors also make some individuals more prone to developing dry eye syndrome. These risk factors may include:

• • Aging – individuals older than 50 tend to produce fewer tears.
• • Being a woman – women often have fewer tears, especially during hormonal changes from pregnancy, birth control, and menopause.
• • Wearing contact lenses

How to Get Relief from Dry Eyes

Dry eye syndrome can be diagnosed through a comprehensive eye exam. At George Optical, we conduct a tear-break-up test as part of our EyeCare360 exam to diagnose the condition in our clients and how fast tears evaporate. This test measures how long it takes for tears to evaporate in the eyes. This shows how stable the tear film is on the eye’s surface.

Along with a thorough check of the front of the eyes, our eye doctors may recommend using specific artificial tears or provide a dry eye regimen that will help lubricate the eyes and maintain hydration.

Managing dry eye syndrome is important. It helps reduce daily discomfort and protects your vision.