Why Are My Eyes So Dry?

Having dry eyes is very common especially at this time of year. With the changes in temperature, and the use of heating it can leave your eyes feeling dry and gritty.

It is estimated that one in 3 people over the age of 65 experience dry eye syndrome, although it can affect anyone of any age.

What are symptoms of dry eye?

There are many different symptoms of dry eye that can vary for each individual, these include:

· Feelings of dryness, soreness and gritty eyes that worsen throughout the day

· Red eyes

· Your eyelids sticking together when you wake up

· Temporarily blurred vision that improves when you blink

· Watery eyes

What causes dry eye?

Dry eye syndrome is usually caused by the disruption of the production of tears. This means that they either evaporate too quickly, not enough tears are produced or there is an issue with the drainage of tears. Tears are important to your eye health as they keep the eye lubricated, clear debris from the surface of your eye and protect against infections.

Many environmental factors can lead to dry eye such as:

· Wearing contact lenses

· Hormonal changes

· Windy or hot environments

· Air conditioning and heating

· Underlying medical conditions

It is also thought that wearing a face mask can cause dry eye. If your mask does not fit close to your face, air can escape from the top of your mask when you breathe out across the surface of your eyes. The increased flow of warm air across the surface of the eye can cause the tears to evaporate more quickly.

How is dry eye treated?

The main method of treating dry eyes is to lubricate the eyes using drops. There are many different types of drop available, however it is best to use the ones recommended by your optometrist especially if you are a contact lens wearer.

If dry eye is caused by an underlying condition, treating this will usually help to relieve the symptoms.

If you have symptoms of dry eye or any other eye health concerns, please contact your local MKO and speak to a member of our team.