6 Signs It's Time to Consider Dry Eye Treatment
August 6, 2024
Do your eyes feel dry, itchy, or irritated? Although they may feel irritated sometimes, it isn't normal for them to always feel irritated.
If they do, it could be because you have dry eyes. Your eyes can become too dry, causing you discomfort, for several reasons, but when they're chronically irritated, it's often due to a condition called dry eye syndrome. Keep reading to learn about 6 signs it's time to consider dry eye treatment!
What is Dry Eye Syndrome?
Your eyes can become dry due to your environment. If it's extremely hot or the air is dry, tears can evaporate quickly, preventing them from moisturizing or lubricating your eyes correctly.
But simply changing your environment should alleviate any irritation. If it doesn't, it could be because there's an issue with your tear production.
Your tear film is the layer of tears distributed over your eye each time you blink and keeps your eyes wet. They flush away debris and bacteria so your eyes stay healthy.
But when there's an issue with tear production, your tear film can have trouble keeping your eyes adequately lubricated. This is usually due to a problem producing one of the three tear components.
These are:
- Mucus
- Water (aqueous)
- Oil (lipids)
When your eyes don't produce enough of one of these components, your tear quality suffers, and your eyes can become too dry, leading to extremely uncomfortable symptoms. This is what causes dry eye syndrome.
Dry eye syndrome is common in older adults and women especially. It's also often associated with inflammatory skin conditions like rosacea and blepharitis.
However, dry eye syndrome is a very common condition that can affect anyone regardless of age, sex, and medical history. It is treatable, and treatment can alleviate uncomfortable symptoms and save you from eye infections and potential vision loss.
Here are 6 signs that you may have dry eye syndrome and should seek treatment:
1. Your Eyes Always Feel Irritated
When your eyes are dry, they tend to be inflamed, which makes them appear red. They may also be a little puffy and feel like they are burning, causing you a lot of discomfort.
If your eyes are often inflamed and irritated, it could be because they're dry. If that irritation doesn't subside with environmental changes, it could be because you have dry eye syndrome.
2. You Can No Longer Tolerate Wearing Contact Lenses
Wearing contact lenses naturally makes your eyes feel drier than usual. Their drying effects can be mitigated by using contacts as directed and using plenty of contact solution.
But if your eyes are already dry before wearing contacts, putting them in will only add to the irritation and dryness. For people with dry eyes and dry eye syndrome, wearing contact lenses becomes incredibly uncomfortable, and it may mean you're better off only wearing glasses to avoid further irritation and discomfort.
No longer being able to wear contact lenses is often a sign that you may have dry eye syndrome.
3. Your Eyes are Frequently Watery
While it may sound strange, if you have dry eyes, they may water more than people who don't have dry eyes. This is because when your eyes are dry, you produce more reflexive tears that try to compensate for a tear film lacking the proper components.
However, the watering from the reflex tears often won't alleviate your symptoms because your reflexive tears lack the same quality as your tear film. If your eyes water a lot, it's usually because your eyes aren't producing tears as they should.
4. Mucus Builds Up in Your Eyelashes
When your eyes water a lot, and tears lack their protective lipid layer (a common cause of dry eye syndrome), they can evaporate too quickly, leaving behind their inner mucus layer. Because of this, you may notice mucus building up in and around the eye and getting stuck in your eyelashes.
Having a lot of dried mucus in your eyelashes is often a sign of dry eye syndrome.
5. It Often Feels Like There's Something in Your Eye
If you have dry eyes, it may feel like you have grit or sand in your eye, even when there's nothing there. Even the most minute particles and bacteria can cause irritation without a healthy tear film.
If you often check to see if there's something in your eyes only to find nothing there, it could be because you have dry eye syndrome.
Is it time to do something about your dry eyes?
6. It's Very Difficult Not to Rub Your Eyes
When your eyes feel irritated, and like there's grit in them, you may be tempted to rub them to find relief. However, you should never rub your eyes, especially if they are dry.
Rubbing your eyes if they are dry can introduce bacteria into them, which could lead to an infection. Rubbing them will also always worsen any symptoms you may be experiencing. Always needing to rub your eyes is not only a sign that you may have dry eyes but also a sign you need to seek treatment to get the relief you need.
When it’s Time to Get Help
If you exhibit the above symptoms, you likely have dry eye syndrome and need help. Untreated dry eye syndrome can cause infections and even corneal ulcers, which can, in turn, lead to vision loss.
The first step to treatment is to see your eye doctor. Your eye doctor can assess your tear quality and diagnose you.
They can then recommend various treatments, including over-the-counter medications and nutritional supplements. They can also prescribe prescription eye drops for more intensive treatment along with in-office therapies.
Are you ready to get your dry eyes under control? Get the relief you need by requesting your appointment today at OMNI Eye Specialists in Baltimore, Rosedale, Glen Burnie, and Catonsville, MD!