What is it?
Dry eye is one of the most common eye conditions today, which may be due to our lifestyle and habits. With this term we usually do not refer to the condition itself, but to a condition characterized by symptoms of eye discomfort, such as: irritation, redness, feeling of dryness, burning, foreign body or sand in the eyes, etc.
What is the reason?
Dry eyes are usually caused by a problem with the quality and quantity of tears in our eyes. Tears are made up of three layers. The mucous layer, which is considered vital, as it is the basis and support for all the others and covers the cornea. The aqueous middle layer, which provides moisture, nutrients and oxygen. And finally the fatty layer, which covers the aqueous on the outside and protects it from evaporation. A problem in any of these layers can lead to the appearance of intolerance.
Causes of the onset of the intolerance symptoms mentioned are often environmental factors and lifestyle conditions, such as air, sun, smoke, prolonged computer use, general fixation on screens, air conditioning and others.
In other cases, the intolerance may be caused by conjunctivitis or a coexisting allergy. Eye surgeries are another major cause of intolerance symptoms and one of the most common.
Also, many medications such as nasal decongestants, antidepressants, antiglaucoma medications, and many others can cause the appearance of these symptoms.
The use of contact lenses, hormonal changes during menopause, menstruation or even pregnancy, as well as increasing age, when normal aging of the tear glands occurs, are some other causes.
Conditions such as Sjogren’s syndrome and other autoimmune diseases can also cause the appearance of intense and severe dry eyes.
Treatment
There is practically no cure. The only easy and simple solution, which is sufficient for 99% of cases, is to relieve these symptoms with the use of artificial tears.
Of course, it is always wise, in any case, to consult our ophthalmologist, who will help us choose the right solution for our problem. Each person is different, has different needs, but also different severity of symptoms that require different treatment. The use of tears can even be combined with surgery, such as blocking the tear ducts with special plugs.