Dry eyes can be caused by excessive tear evaporation or failure to produce enough tears. They are also linked to several health conditions, medication side effects, and lifestyle or environmental factors.
Some of these factors can be helped, but can you cure dry eyes permanently? Well, let’s answer that question first and then take a deep dive into what dry eyes really are!
Can You Cure Dry Eye Symptoms Permanently?
If your dry eye symptoms are caused by lifestyle or environmental factors, changing the things affecting your eyes helps them feel better.
You may need more serious intervention if a general health disease causes dry eyes. Dry eye symptoms from medical conditions can be managed effectively, but a permanent cure is usually unavailable. However, many patients can become free of symptoms with proper care.
Treatments for dry eyes that just aim to alleviate symptoms of dry eye do not address the underlying cause. If that cause isn’t solved, your dry eyes won’t be either.
Artificial tear drops help your eyes feel much better but aren’t the answer for most cases of dry eyes.
Let’s take a deep dive into dry eyes to understand this eye condition fully:
- What is dry eye disease?
- The symptoms
- Causes
- Treatments available
What is Dry Eye?
Dry eye disease affects the tears covering the cornea and conjunctiva. It occurs when there are not enough tears or if they evaporate too quickly.
Up to 50% of patients can have dry eyes without symptoms. However, if it becomes noticeable, symptoms include discomfort, grittiness, itching, redness, pain, vision disturbance, and potential ocular surface damage.
Symptoms of Dry Eye
When symptoms occur, they vary in intensity and frequency. As a result, it can be a tricky condition to diagnose, but the patient may notice:
- Stinging, burning, or scratchy sensation – A persistent feeling of discomfort in the eyes, often described as a gritty or sandy feeling.
- Redness – Inflammation and visible redness of the white part of the eyes.
- Sensitivity to light – Increased sensitivity to bright or intense pulsed light, known as photophobia.
- Eye fatigue – Feeling of tired eyes, especially after prolonged periods of reading, screen use, or driving.
- Blurred vision – Temporary fluctuating blurriness that often improves with blinking.
- Stringy mucus – Presence of stringy mucus in or around the eyes.
- Feeling of having something in the eyes – Sensation of a foreign body in the eyes, despite there being nothing there.
- Difficulty wearing contact lenses – Increased discomfort or inability to wear contact lenses for extended periods.
- Excessive tearing – Dry eye can also lead to excessive tearing as the eyes try to compensate for the dryness.
- Difficulty with nighttime driving – Problems with seeing clearly while driving at night.
- Eye discomfort after prolonged activities – Worsening of symptoms after activities that require prolonged visual attention, such as reading or using a computer.
Recognising these symptoms early and seeking treatment can help manage dry eye disease.
However, it’s important to note that the symptoms above are not exclusive to dry eyes. For example, blurry vision, light sensitivity and difficulty driving at night can be caused by other conditions, such as cataracts. Please visit an eye specialist to confirm your condition before starting any treatment.
The Causes of Dry Eye
Dry eye can result from various factors, including ageing, hormonal changes, autoimmune diseases, and environmental conditions. However, they can also be caused by certain health conditions, including:
- Sjögren’s Syndrome – Around 10% of people with aqueous deficient dry eye (dry eyes caused by having too few tears) have Sjögren’s syndrome, an autoimmune condition affecting moisture-producing glands.
- Diabetes – If you have diabetes, there’s a 50/50 chance you’ll develop dry eyes due to neuropathy or metabolic changes affecting tear production.
- Thyroid Eye Disease – Thyroid dysfunction can lead to eyelid and tear gland changes, contributing to dry eye symptoms.
- Blepharitis is an inflammation of the eyelid margins that can cause or exacerbate dry eyes. It can also block the oil glands inside your eyeliods, exacerbating dry eye issues.
- Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) is a long-term condition that affects the oil-making glands in the eyelids that release oil near the eyelashes. It is very common, affecting around 1 in 3 people.
Types of Dry Eye Disease
There are different types of dry eye, which is determined by the cause:
- Aqueous Deficient Dry Eye is the least common, just 10-15% of cases. It occurs when the lacrimal glands do not produce enough aqueous fluid (the water component of tears).
- Evaporative Dry Eye is the most common. This type is caused by the rapid evaporation of tears, often caused by meibomian gland dysfunction, which affects the oily layer of the tear film.
- Mixed Dry Eye—Mixed dry eye involves both inadequate tear production and rapid evaporation, combining elements of both primary types.
Evaporative dry eye plays a role in 85% of all cases. Understanding why your eyes are dry can help doctors plan the proper treatment. We’ll explain how eye doctors determine which type of dry eye disease you have below.
Risk Factors of Dry Eyes
It’s not just eye and medical conditions that can affect your eye health. Several risk factors can make symptoms worse or be the sole cause of your dry eyes, including:
Lifestyle and Environmental Factors
Prolonged screen time, exposure to wind and smoke, and low-humidity environments can all contribute to dry eyes. As can using air conditioning for protracted periods. If you think lifestyle factors could be causing your dry eyes, we’ll have some information below to help you.
Medications
Certain medications, like antihistamines, decongestants, and antidepressants, can reduce tear production.
Medical Conditions
Conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and Sjögren’s syndrome are also associated with dry eyes.
Surgeries
Refractive eye surgeries, like LASIK (laser eye surgery), can disrupt tear production and lead to dry eye symptoms. Almost all cases are temporary.
At Focus, we can provide a range of therapies, including Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatment for any of our LASIK patients suffering from dry eyes when they see us. So, if you’re concerned that you can’t have LASIK eye surgery because you are suffering from dry eyes, book a consultation today; clearer vision might be closer than you think.
How Common is Dry Eye Disease?
Dry eye disease is very common, particularly among older adults, but with increased screen time, pollution, and other environmental triggers, it can affect anyone at any age.
Dry eyes affect millions worldwide, and the chance of developing this condition increases with age and among certain races. For example, dry eyes are more common among Asian and Hispanic people.
How Is Dry Eye Diagnosed?
Diagnosis typically involves a comprehensive eye exam. During the exam, you’ll be asked questions about your health history and any eye issues you’ve had.
You’ll also have tests to evaluate tear production, quality, and the very useful tear break-up time test (TBUT for short).
How To Treat Dry Eyes
There are several treatments for dry eyes, which include:
- Artificial tears – Over-the-counter artificial tears can provide temporary relief by supplementing natural tear production.
- Avoid certain environments—Minimise exposure to dry, windy, or smoky environments to reduce tear evaporation. Wearing wraparound sunglasses that cover your upper and lower eyelids can help reduce exposure to wind. Reduce the amount you smoke and turn off the air conditioning when possible.
- Fish oil – Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil supplements can improve tear quality and reduce eye inflammation. While studies are mixed, larger doses appear to help. Expect the most benefit if you don’t eat a lot of fish.
- Warm compresses – Applying a warm compress to your eyes can help unblock oil glands in the eyelids, improving tear stability.
- Use a humidifier – A humidifier adds moisture to the air, reducing tear evaporation in dry indoor environments (perfect if you enjoy using aircon in warmer weather).
- Take regular breaks – Frequent breaks from screen use can reduce eye strain and prevent tear evaporation.
- Drink plenty of water – Staying hydrated helps maintain adequate tear production.
- Medicated eye drops – Prescription eye drops, such as Cyclosporine or Lifitegrast, can help increase tear production and reduce inflammation.
- Plugs – Punctal plugs can be inserted into the tear ducts to reduce tear drainage, helping to keep the eyes moist.
- Special Lenses – Special contact lenses, known as scleral lenses, can protect the eyes’ surface and retain moisture.
Effective management of dry eyes involves a combination of lifestyle changes, environmental adjustments, and medical treatments tailored to your specific needs. While a permanent cure may not be possible, these strategies can significantly improve symptoms and enhance quality of life.
If you’re suffering from dry eyes following laser eye surgery, contact the surgeon who performed the surgery. If it was us, please do not hesitate to contact us. We’ll conduct an eye exam and do our best to treat your dry eyes as soon as possible.