All About Dry Eye Syndrome

Dry eye syndrome is caused by insufficient lubrication and moisture in the eye. It results from little but continuous irritation and can go up to inflammation of the front tissues of the eye.

Dry eyes accompanied by a constant feeling of scratchiness and a burning sensation are typical signs of dry eye syndrome. There are others who feel as if there is something in the eye - the 'foreign body sensation'. Though it sounds paradoxical, watery eyes can be the outcome of dry eye syndrome - when the water component of your tears is over stimulated by the dryness of your eyes. There are several risk factors for dry eye syndrome. These include: hormonal changes due to aging and menopause, medical conditions like arthritis and diabetes, autoimmune disease conditions like Sjogren's Syndrome or a combination of all the above.

Over and above being a tool for venting out our inner feelings, tears have an important function - it washes out the dust and debris from our eyes and keeps them moist and lubricated. Tears also contain certain enzymes which neutralize various microorganisms which colonize the eye. Without tears, it would be impossible to maintain good eye health. When the eyes go dry and are incapable of producing tears, or the tears have an altered chemical composition by which it evaporates quickly, we know that we are affected by dry eye syndrome.

While hormonal changes related to aging and menopause is a typical reason for dry eye syndrome, it could be caused by several other factors including: side effects of some medications like antihistamines, antidepressants and anti-hypertensive drugs. It could be a side effect of medications taken to control Parkinson's disease and birth control pills. Insufficient blinking while working in front of a computer for long hours could also be one of the reasons. Living in dry, dusty and windy climatic conditions or improper air-conditioning or dry heating systems in your home or office could lead to dry eye syndrome. Research has shown that long term contact lens users are more prone to get affected by dry eye syndrome. Any infection on the eyelid, improper closing of eyelids or a deficient functioning of tear producing glands can also result in being affected by this syndrome. Malfunctioning of any of the three (oily, watery and mucous) tear layers can result in dry eye syndrome. Recent trials show that smoking could also be a contributing factor for dry eye syndrome.

With regard to treating dry eye syndrome, while the disease may not be cured, the accompanying scratchiness, dryness and burning sensations can be controlled. Artificial tears may be prescribed which alleviate the dry and scratchy feeling. These are actually lubricating eye drops that control the symptoms.