Dry eye syndrome (DES) is a condition that causes chronic dry eyes due to a lack of eye lubrication. Dry eye syndrome symptoms can range from mild discomfort and itchy eyes to burning and stinging sensations in the eyes. If you suffer from dry eye syndrome, you may not make enough tears naturally or your tears may not be balanced enough to adequately hydrate your eyes. There are several reasons this can occur, and understanding your cause for dry eye syndrome can help you address the underlying issue and receive proper treatment. If you have dry eyes, speak to your optometrist and consider how these potential dry eye syndrome factors may impact you.
Why Dry Eye Syndrome Develops
A Lack Of Tear Production
Dry eyes often occur when a person’s tear glands don’t produce enough tears. Although you may still produce some tears, if there is not constant rehydration and lubrication, you may have dry eye syndrome. Typically, when a person blinks, the eyes are coated in tears and a film of oil and mucus keeps the cornea lubricated, but when you don’t produce enough tears, this lubrication may happen only every few blinks, which is not enough to keep eyes comfortable.
Quickly Evaporating Tears
Even when a person does produce enough tears, that doesn’t mean they have adequate eye lubrication. Tears are composed of several components: oil, water, and mucus. When there is an imbalance of this composition, tears evaporate too quickly and do not perform their duty of hydrating the eye. If there is not enough oil or mucus in tears, the water will evaporate quickly and if there is not enough water, the tears will not thoroughly coat the eye. This imbalance of tear components is a common reason for dry eye syndrome, and it can also lead to excessive tearing, as your eye is producing more tears in an attempt to lubricate the eyes, but these poor quality tears are still not adequate to soothe the eyes. Often, a lack of proper tear composition is caused by a blocked meibomian gland (the gland that produces oil for tears). Unblocking this gland can help restore proper tear function and reduce dry eye syndrome symptoms.
What Factors Contribute To Dry Eye Syndrome
Environmental Factors
A dry climate, such as in Alberta, can quickly cause dry eye symptoms. Even if you are producing enough tears, the dry climate can cause them to evaporate too quickly. This tends to become even worse in windy conditions.
Medication
Some medications may influence your tear production by affecting either your tear glands or your meibomian glands. This can affect either how many tears you produce, the quality of tears, or both. If your dry eye syndrome begins to develop after starting a new medication, you may need to speak to your family doctor about a potential alternative medication.
Surgeries
Some eye surgeries, such as LASIK eye surgery or cataract surgery, increase your risk of developing dry eye syndrome. Nerve damage or improper healing from eye surgeries can impact proper eye lubrication by making your eyes less sensitive which reduces the signals your eyes send to your brain when they need hydration.
Medical Conditions
Many neurological conditions, eye conditions, and autoimmune conditions can alter tear production and oil production, increasing your risk of developing dry eye syndrome.
Age
As people age, we naturally produce fewer tears. Hormone changes can also alter tear production, and many women going through menopause or who are postmenopausal have an increased risk of developing dry eye syndrome. Everyone, regardless of gender, is at an increased risk of dry eye syndrome if they are 65 or over.
Find Dry Eye Syndrome Relief In Calgary
If you are experiencing the symptoms of dry eye syndrome or have any questions or concerns about your overall eye health, our team of optometrists at Blink Eyewear can help. Whether your symptoms are mild or severe, the expert staff at Blink Eyewear can find dry eye syndrome treatment that works best for you so that you can see comfortably and protect your eyes. With three convenient locations in Crowfoot in NW Calgary, West Springs in SW Calgary, and Creekside in NW Calgary, Blink Eyewear can offer you great optometry services throughout the city. To book an appointment with Blink Eyewear, call 1-403-516-2292 or fill out the online contact form.