Dry Eye Awareness Month: Relief Options for Dry, Irritated Eyes

Understanding Dry Eye Syndrome

Dry eye syndrome, also known as dry eye disease, happens when your eyes are not properly lubricated by a stable, healthy tear film. Tears do more than keep the eyes wet. They help maintain moisture on the eye’s surface, wash away irritants, and provide nutrients to the cornea. When the eyes do not have enough lubrication, they may become irritated, inflamed, and uncomfortable.

In dry eye disease, the tear film may evaporate too quickly or may not be replenished the way it should be. This can leave the eyes feeling gritty, scratchy, burning, or irritated. For some people, symptoms are mild and occasional. For others, dry eye can become persistent enough to affect daily activities such as reading, driving, working on digital screens, or wearing contact lenses.

Because dry eye symptoms can overlap with allergies, digital eye strain, contact lens discomfort, and other eye issues, a comprehensive eye exam is the best way to better understand what may be causing your symptoms.

Common Causes of Dry Eye Syndrome

Dry eye can develop for many reasons. Some causes affect the amount of tears your eyes make, while others affect tear quality or cause tears to evaporate too quickly. Identifying what is contributing to your symptoms can help determine which treatments may be most effective.

• Aging: As we age, tear production naturally decreases, making dry eye more common in individuals over 50.

• Environmental Factors: Dry climates, air conditioning, smoke, wind, and pollutants can all contribute to dry eye by increasing tear evaporation.

• Health Conditions: Certain conditions like Sjögren’s syndrome, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis can affect the quality of tears or the glands responsible for producing them.

• Medications: Some medications, such as antihistamines, decongestants, and beta-blockers, can reduce tear production as a side effect, making dry eye symptoms more prominent.

• Contact Lens Wear: Long-term or improper use of contact lenses can contribute to dry eyes, as the lenses can absorb moisture from the eye’s surface and disrupt tear distribution.

• Hormonal Changes: Hormonal shifts like those experienced during pregnancy, menopause, or because of certain birth control methods can affect tear production and lead to dry eye.

• Screen Time: Prolonged exposure to digital screens, whether for work, entertainment, or study, often leads to reduced blinking, contributing to dry eye symptoms.

Signs and Symptoms of Dry Eye

Recognizing the symptoms of dry eye is an important first step in finding relief. Occasional dryness can happen to anyone, but dry eye disease is more likely when symptoms continue, come back often, or begin affecting your day-to-day life. Symptoms can range from mild irritation to more significant discomfort, and they may vary depending on the environment, time of day, or the activities you are doing.

Common symptoms of dry eye include:

• Gritty or scratchy sensation

• Burning or stinging

• Redness

• Blurred vision

• Excessive tearing

• Light sensitivity

• Eye fatigue

Watery eyes can also be a symptom of dry eye. When the eyes become irritated, they may produce extra tears, but those tears may not have the right balance to keep the surface of the eye comfortable.

Some mild dryness may improve with basic home care, but persistent symptoms should be checked by an eye doctor. If your dryness is ongoing, worsening, painful, making contact lenses difficult to wear, or affecting daily activities, it is a good time to schedule an eye exam at Nationwide Vision.

When to Schedule an Eye Exam for Dry Eye

You should schedule an eye exam for dry eye if your symptoms keep coming back, are getting worse, affect your vision, make contacts uncomfortable, or interfere with daily tasks such as reading, driving, working, or using digital screens.

You should also seek care if you have significant redness, eye pain, light sensitivity, discharge, sudden changes in vision, or symptoms that do not improve with over-the-counter lubricating drops. An eye doctor can evaluate your tear quality, tear quantity, eyelids, and the surface of your eyes to help determine the cause and recommend a treatment plan.

Treatment Options for Dry Eye

The right dry eye treatment depends on what is causing your symptoms and how severe they are. Mild dry eye may improve with changes to your daily routine and over-the-counter products, while more persistent or severe dry eye may require prescription treatment or in-office care. Here are some of the treatment options that may help.

Lifestyle Adjustments

Simple changes to your daily routine can make a meaningful difference for some people with dry eye.

1. Use a Humidifier: Adding moisture to the air in your home or office can prevent tear evaporation and reduce dryness, especially in dry or air-conditioned environments.

2. Practice the 20-20-20 Rule: If you spend a lot of time in front of screens, follow the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and focus on something 20 feet away. This encourages natural blinking and reduces eye strain.

3. Increase Your Water Intake: Staying hydrated helps maintain the health of your tear glands, ensuring that your eyes are adequately lubricated.

4. Avoid Wind and Direct Sunlight: Wearing sunglasses or protective eyewear can help shield your eyes from harsh winds and UV rays, both of which can exacerbate dry eye symptoms.

5. Take Breaks: When reading, working on a computer, or engaging in other visually demanding activities, take regular breaks to rest your eyes and reduce the risk of dryness and irritation.

Over-the-Counter Treatments

Artificial tears are one of the most common treatments for dry eye. These lubricating eye drops help add moisture and relieve symptoms such as burning, scratchiness, and irritation. Preservative-free formulas are also available and may be especially helpful for people with sensitive eyes. Some people may also benefit from thicker gels or ointments, especially at night. These products can offer longer-lasting moisture and may be helpful for people who wake up with dry eyes in the morning.

If you need artificial tears several times a day, preservative-free drops may be the better option because some preservatives can become irritating with frequent use. It is also a good idea to avoid relying on redness-relief drops as your main dry eye treatment unless your eye doctor recommends them, since they may not address the underlying cause of dryness.

Warm compresses may also help. Applying warmth to the eyelids can help open blocked meibomian glands, which produce the oily layer of your tears. That oil helps keep tears from evaporating too quickly, so improving gland function may help improve tear quality.

Prescription Treatments

For moderate to severe dry eye, your eye care provider may recommend prescription treatment.

• Restasis®: Restasis is a prescription eye drop that helps reduce inflammation and increase tear production. It may be recommended for chronic dry eye associated with inflammation.

• Xiidra®: Xiidra is another prescription eye drop that targets inflammation linked to dry eye disease and may help improve comfort.

• Punctal Plugs: These tiny devices are placed in the tear ducts to slow tear drainage and help keep more moisture on the eyes. They may be helpful for people who have trouble maintaining adequate tears.

Your eye doctor may also discuss other prescription or in-office treatment options depending on the cause and severity of your symptoms. Because dry eye can have more than one cause, treatment may involve a combination of drops, eyelid care, lifestyle changes, and procedures.

Advanced Dry Eye Therapies

In some cases, more advanced treatment may be appropriate. LipiFlow® is an in-office treatment that uses heat and gentle massage to help treat meibomian gland dysfunction, which is a common cause of dry eye. This treatment is designed to help restore healthier oil flow and improve tear quality.

For more severe dry eye, scleral lenses may also be recommended. These large gas-permeable lenses create a moisture reservoir over the eye’s surface. They can be especially helpful for people with severe dryness or corneal damage because they provide constant hydration and protection.