Dry eyes is a condition that happens when your tears do not lubricate your eyes well enough, and it can be more than just uncomfortable. Millions of people who have persistently dry eyes know that dry eye syndrome can be a nuisance. SYMPTOMS OF DRY EYES
- Stinging, burning, or scratchy eyes
- Mucus around the eyes
- Sensitivity to light
- Red eyes
- A feeling of having something in your eyes
- A hard time wearing contact lenses
- Blurred vision or eye fatigue
- Watery eyes, which can happen because of irritation that comes with dryness
If left untreated over the long term, it may lead to complications like infection, inflammation, and scarred corneas. Dry eye syndrome sometimes signals an underlying health problem.
THE IMPORTANCE OF TREATING DRY EYE
Problems that can happen:
- Eye infections
- Eye inflammation
- Corneal abrasions or ulcers
- Vision loss
- Difficulty reading, driving, or doing other things that require good vision
Tears do more than help you express emotions -- they keep your eyes healthy. Keep in mind that dry eye happens when your eyes don’t make enough tears to stay wet, or when your tears don’t work the way they should.
Tears protect the surface of your eyes from infections by helping to wash away germs. Eye infections can cause complications including permanent vision loss.
Tears also carry away physical irritants like dust and dirt.
Lack of lubrication in your eyes can lead to corneal abrasions (small scratches to the clear outer layer of your eye) or more serious corneal ulcers (sores from serious infection on your corneas).
There’s also a connection between dry eye and eye inflammation.
Inflammation in parts of your eye, like the tear glands, can lead to dry eye. But damage to your cornea caused by dry eye syndrome can lead to inflammation. That happens when your body sends immune cells where the damage is. So there is a vicious cycle of inflammation and dry eye that can make the condition worse.
Dry eye syndrome is made up of a wide range of problems with different causes.
Figuring the best way to manage dry eye to prevent complications and improve your quality of life can be a challenge, but is a very possible. Eye drops may be prescribed and other techniques can be used to treat dry eye. It's very important to stay hydrated and and make sure you get enough lutein and zeaxanthin in your diet.