What Causes Dry Eyes?
At the root of it, dry eye is exactly what it sounds like: your eyes don’t have enough moisture to function the way they’re supposed to. But that condition can come about in two different ways.
Your body is programmed to make a certain volume of tears. These tears are produced with the express purpose of lubricating your eyes. If your body doesn’t make enough tears naturally, your eyes will become dry and irritated.
Sometimes, the body makes the right volume of tears, but they’re not quite the right quality. Your tears contain an oil called meibum which keeps them from evaporating. If your tears don’t have enough meibum in them, they’ll evaporate too quickly from the surface of your eye, causing it to dry out.
Risk Factors
Anyone can experience dry eye. However, there are a few elements that can increase your likelihood of having dry eye. You’re at a greater risk of developing dry eye if:
- You’re female
- You’re over 50 years old
- You wear contact lenses
- You don’t eat a particularly balanced diet
Symptoms of Dry Eye
Dry eye doesn’t always just feel like your eyes are dry. In fact, in some cases, patients experience a sudden influx of tears or discharge. It’s also common to notice sensitivity to light, redness, a gritty feeling, burning or stinging blurry vision, and eye fatigue.
If you’re experiencing these symptoms; you don’t have to live with them. Visit Bluebird Family Eye Care and let us help.