5 Signs You May Have Dry Eyes
October 2, 2024
Do your eyes feel irritated a lot? It could be because they're too dry.
Dry eyes are very common. You may even have a chronic condition that keeps your eyes from getting the moisture they need.
It's important to recognize when your eyes are too dry, as having dry eyes for an extended period can cause significant issues with your eye health if left untreated. But what does having dry eyes mean? Keep reading for 5 signs you may have dry eyes and how to treat them!
What are Dry Eyes?
Your eyes can become too dry for many reasons. Sometimes, your environment can make it challenging for your tear film to keep your eyes wet, lubricated, and healthy.
Your tear film is distributed over your eye each time you blink. It also keeps your eyes healthy by washing away debris and harmful bacteria from your eye.
When the air is dry, your tear film may evaporate too quickly, drying out your eyes. In such cases, your eyes should feel better once you're in a less dry environment.
But dry eyes can be chronic. You can have something called evaporative dry eye. Evaporative dry eye occurs not because of dry air but because of the composition of your tear film.
The tear film is necessary for your tears, ensuring your eyes receive nutrients and lubrication. If its three components are not correctly synced, it can lead to uncomfortable symptoms.
Your tears consist of three layers:
- The inner layer is mucus
- The middle layer is water
- The outer protective layer is oil
The glands that produce the oil, called meibomian glands, can get backed up if the oil inside of them thickens. Blocked meibomian glands can occur for several reasons.
However, it is most common in older adults with inflammatory skin conditions and women going through menopause. When oil can't flow freely from your meibomian glands, your tear film lacks protection.
Because of this, the water in your tears evaporates too quickly. Dry eyes usually occur because you aren't producing enough tears or the tears being produced are low in quality and are not delivering necessary nutrients to the eye.
However, the symptoms are the same regardless of what is causing your dry eyes. Here are a few signs you may have dry eyes:
1. Inflammation
Inflammation can both lead to meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) and result from it. Your eyes often get more irritated if they lack the moisture they need.
Inflamed, dry eyes typically appear red and feel like they burn or sting. If you rub your eyes, this will only make any inflammation you're experiencing worse.
Further inflammation will only make your eyes more dry, putting you in a vicious and uncomfortable feedback loop.
2. Light Sensitivity
Having dry eyes means they become more prone to discomfort. One of the primary ways this occurs is with light sensitivity.
If you have dry eyes, you may notice that your eyes may feel more sensitive and uncomfortable while in a well-lit area. Reacting this way could be due to dry eyes.
3. Tearing
Although dry eyes may sound like you have dry eyes, this is only one of the symptoms associated with the eye condition. Another common symptom you may experience is tearing or watering.
These reflexive tears form to compensate for a lack of tear film, but they don't have the same quality as your tear film, so they cannot alleviate your dry eyes.
4. Mucus Around the Eyes
When your eyes tear up a lot, and those tears evaporate quickly, this leaves behind the inner mucus layer of your tears. The inner mucus of your tears tends to dry out around your eyes, getting stuck in your eyelashes.
5. A Feeling of Grit in the Eye
When your eyes are too dry, it often feels like there's something in them, even when there isn't. Having a feeling of grit in your eye happens because your eyes are much more sensitive when you don't have a healthy tear film, so even microscopic debris can irritate your eyes.
Do you have dry eyes?
When Should You See Your Eye Doctor?
When you experience these symptoms that don't disappear after changing your environment, you should see your eye doctor at Maryland Eye Associates. Untreated dry eyes can cause serious harm to your eyes.
Your eyes need a healthy tear film to flush out debris and bacteria. Without a healthy tear film, microabrasions can more easily damage your cornea.
The abrasions are then more easily able to become infected due to a buildup of bacteria and can form ulcers. Corneal ulcers can cause scarring that can lead to some vision loss.
Luckily, there are a variety of non-invasive dry eye treatments that can save your vision and alleviate your discomfort!
How Do You Treat Dry Eyes?
Before receiving dry eye treatment, your eye doctor at Maryland Eye Associates will assess your tear quality by taking a sample from your tear film and analyzing it. Assessing your tear quality will help them see not only if you have dry eyes but also if you have evaporative dry eyes.
If you have this eye condition, they can recommend various home remedies, like over-the-counter eye drops and nutritional supplements. They can also offer prescription medication and even in-office therapies. Maryland Eye Associates offers an FDA-approved treatment for dry eye called LipiFlow.
What is LipiFlow?
LipiFlow is an in-office treatment that uses a device applied over the eyelids. The device emits gentle pressure as well as light and heat.
Using gentle pressure, light, and heat helps soften blocked meibomian glands, allowing oil to flow from them again so your tears don't evaporate as quickly, alleviating your dry eyes. Treatments only take 12 minutes to perform and are comfortable to undergo to help reduce your dry eye symptoms.
Are you ready to get relief from dry eye? Today, take the first step by scheduling an appointment at Maryland Eye Associates in Prince Frederick, MD! Why wait when you could finally feel better?