Understanding What Really Causes Dry Eyes
- Posted on: Oct 30 2014
Dry eye syndrome is one of the frequent complaints we get from first-time visitors here at the Roholt Vision Institute. Every so often, they complain about eye redness, itchiness, foreign body sensation, grittiness, tired eyes, overall discomfort, light sensitivity, intermittent blurred vision, and in some cases, contact lens intolerance.
During consultations, patients will frequently ask about what is exactly causing the symptoms. Here’s what we usually tell them — by and large, dry eye syndrome is either caused by a significant reduction in the production of tears or an increase in the rate at which tears evaporate.
Reduced Tear Production
A decrease in the production of tears may be caused by the following:
- damage, infection, or any abnormality associated in the lacrimal glands (glands responsible for producing tears)
- a symptom of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or Sjogrens syndrome
- any condition that affects corneal sensation such corneal surgery, long-term use of contact lens, diabetes, and herpes zoster
- hormonal influence during menstruation, pregnancy, menopause; this explains why dry eyes is more prevalent in women than men
- adverse effect of certain medications such as sleeping pills, contraceptives, decongestants, antihistamines, antihypertensives, and certain pain relievers such as morphine
Increased Tear Evaporation
Generally, a rapid increase in tear evaporation may be influenced by frequent exposure to dry air and blinking less than normal due to prolonged periods of staring at computer screens.
Treatment of Dry Eye Syndrome at the Roholt Vision Institute
Figuring out the underlying cause is one of the important elements of our dry eye syndrome treatment plan here at the Roholt Vision Institute.
If you have symptoms of dry eyes, we encourage you to get in touch with us. Call us at 1-800-481-9545 today to set up an appointment. We look forward to helping you improve your vision and consequently improve your quality of life!
Posted in: Dry Eyes