Dry Eyes

What do normal tears do?

Tears keep the eye's surface smooth and clear, which helps maintain good vision. The tear film is composed of three layers: an oily layer, a watery layer, and a mucus layer. The oily layer is responsible for maintaining the tear surface, while the watery layer is responsible for cleaning the eye and removing particles that do not belong to the eye. The mucus layer is the inner layer, helping to spread the watery layer over the eye's surface, keeping it moist.

What causes dry eye?

Dry eyes are common due to hormonal changes, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren's syndrome, thyroid disease, and lupus. Other causes include blepharitis (swollen eyelids), entropion (eyelids turn in), and ectropion (eyelids turn out). Other causes include being in a dry climate, long-time computer use, prolonged exposure to screens, prolonged contact lens use, refractive eye surgery, and certain medications.

How can you tell if you have dry eyes?

Dry eye is diagnosed through an eye exam, which measures the quality or thickness of tears and the speed of tears production. 

How is dry eye treated?

Treatment options include using artificial tears, which are eye drops that mimic natural tears, blocking tear ducts to keep natural tears longer, or using prescription eyedrops to help the eyes make more tears. If the eyes are irritated, ophthalmologists can treat these problems with prescription eye drops, ointments, warm compresses, massaging the eyelids, and certain eyelid cleaners.