Dry Eyes
What Is It?
This is a very common condition, which occurs
when people don’t have either enough tears, or the correct formulation
of tears, to lubricate the eyes and keep them comfortable.
What are the Symptoms?
Symptoms are variable and the eyes may not actually
feel 'dry'. Often in fact they are wet and watery!
Symptoms include:
• Gritty or burning sensation.
• Mild redness of the white of the eye
• Slight blurring of vision from time to time
• Excess tearing: the eye tries to counteract the dryness by
producing extra tears
Symptoms tend to be made worse by anything which dries out the eyes
further such as windy weather, tobacco smoke, low humidity; air-conditioning
and central heating.
Tasks in which one blinks less often also exacerbate the condition
e.g. reading or looking at a computer screen or TV for long periods.
Who Is Affected?
Anyone can develop Dry Eyes, but it becomes
more common with increasing age. The condition affects about 7% of
people their 50s but doubles to 15% of the 70+ age group.
Across all age groups, women are affected more often than men.
What Causes It?
Anything that reduces the normal quantity or
quality of tears produced:
The causes include:
 Ageing:
less and poorer quality tears are produced as you get older
Hormonal
Changes: some women notice dry eyes developing
after the menopause
General
Medication Side Effects: diuretics, some
antidepressants, antihistamines, contraceptive pills, beta-blockers.
Eye
Medication Side Effects: some eye drops
used to treat other eye conditions may themselves cause dry eye
Illness:
Some people develop dry eyes as a symptom of a more general disease
such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus
Damage:
to the tear glands or drainage canals from disease, injury or surgery.
Unknown.
In some people there is no apparent cause.
Dry Eyes & Blepharitis
Dry Eye Syndrome is strongly associated with
Blepharitis, which is an inflammation of the eyelids. In Blepharitis
the lid margins are inflamed and often crusty. The condition is caused
by the normal bacteria, that live on the skins surface becoming over
active.
What Is The Treatment?
Dry Eyes can't be cured however there are a
number of steps that can assist in reducing the severity.
Artificial Tears & Gel
The most common remedy is the use of Artificial
tears to relieve symptoms. These usually need to be used on an on-going
basis, although the frequency at which they need to be instilled will
vary with the severity of the disease.
Artificial Tears are available in either in gel or drop form. Gels
stay in the eye for longer and are more lubricating.
There are many brands available, each with different ingredients.
Occasionally, some people find one type may irritate and it is worth
trying many different formulations to find the most comfortable and
effective one.
Eye Ointment
These are greasier cream like preparations that
are used at night to provide extra intense lubrication.
Lid Scrubs
These will help when Blepharitis is also present,
as they remove excess bacteria and debris from the skin, reducing
inflammation. Twice daily cleaning with impregnated Lid Wipes or with
diluted baby shampoo can make a real difference.
Hot Compresses & Lid Massage
This will release any blockages in the oil ducts
in the eyelids as well as stimulating oil production. Oil is a vital
component of tears and an even layer on the surface of the tears is
vital to prevent them from dehydrating away quickly.
Minor Surgery
Artificial tears and soothing ointments work
well in most cases, however in some cases when an insufficient quantity
of tears is being produced, surgery to close the drainage channels
and block the tears from draining away may be necessary.
Further Information
More information on Dry Eyes is available by clicking these links:
http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/articles/article.aspx?printPage=1&articleId=137
http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/publicwebsite/public_rnib003647.hcsp
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