Dry Eye And Cause - Dealing With Severe And Mild Dry Eyes

By: Adrian Fletcher

A frequent complaint that eye doctors will come across is dry eye irritation. Many people have this problem to the extent that they will seek help from their doctor or an eye specialist. The problem stems from problems with tears or the tear duct and is known as dry eye syndrome. This article will look at the syndrome and suggest some possible ways to treat it.

Typical Symptoms

Dry eye irritation is normally a burning or stinging sensation. The eyes could be itchy and feel scratchy when moving under the eye lids. Irritation can be started by environmental conditions such as air pollution or exposure to bad weather conditions such as winds and storms. Irritation may also be caused by some obstruction on the surface of the eye like wearing contact lenses.

Another symptom that may not be intuitive is that the eyes could be watery. The eyes are keep moist by the tear ducts that secrete water onto the surface. If the eyes become dry for some reason the tear ducts can often increase the production on water. This increase can often flood the eyes ability to drain excess water away leaving watery eyes in the process.

Treatment For Dry Eyes

The first thing to do that is fairly intuitive is to get some eye drops. You are effectively taking over from the tear ducts that are failing to moisten the surface of the eye. Eye drops are available in most pharmacies without the need for a prescription. However, if you are always using eye drops then their might be an underlying cause that needs to be resolved by visiting your doctor.

The major causes of dry eyes are smoky and/or dry conditions. So, a night spent in a smoky pub may cause dry eyes the next morning or even immediately. Windy conditions will also dry the moisture away from the eyes leading to irritation. A possible solution in cases like this is to install a air humidifier that puts moisture into the air and pushes smoky air out.

More Examination

Dry eyes can be diagnosed by a visual examination from your eye doctor or specialist. However more rigorous tests might be carried out to establish the extent of the condition and how the tear ducts are working. Special drops may be used to confirm dry patches on the eyes surface which could identify the cause and any other eye problems.

Dry Eye Causes

The aging process affects the eyes and this is also the case when it comes to the tear duct. Less water is produced by the tear duct as we age. This is partly dues to the changes that happen in the body. For instance, menopause can often result in dry eyes in women.

As pointed out before, for fast relief from dry eye irritation, artificial tears or eye drops are effective. However, if you are relying on eye drops all the time and this goes on for any length of time, then you have some underlying problem. It is recommended that you see and eye professional or your doctor and explain the situation. It could be that your lifestyle needs changing to get the body back into balance.