What causes Dry Eyes?

It is that time of the year again; in fact it is dry eye time all year long! In the summer, the sun out doors and air conditioners indoors aggravate it. In the winter, the heaters inside and cold air outside cause discomfort. The pollen and molds in spring and fall are completely unhelpful to those who suffer from dry eyes.

The myriad of symptoms of dry eyes include redness, foreign body sensation, itching, discharge, contact lens intolerance and tired eyes. One of the most common symptoms is tearing. On the surface, this seems counterintuitive but in fact, this is the body's best attempt to thwart the damage of dry eyes. The eyes must be moist to function properly. When the body senses dryness, it will attempt to deal with the issue itself by making a lot of tears. Unfortunately, the quality of tears is not of high caliber and often these tears are not able to resolve the dryness.

Dry eyes are a very common problem, particularly affecting older individuals, menopausal women and those with autoimmune disorders (arthritis, lupus. Sjogren's etc). Treatment of dry eyes depends on the severity of the problem. This can be assessed in the office. Treatment options range from artificial tears to medicated drops and minor procedures.

If you find that you are having any of the symptoms described above, you should consider seeing an ophthalmologist for an evaluation; there are many treatment options. There is no reason to suffer.

Alpa Patel, M.D.
Diplomate, America Board of Ophthalmology
Member, South Bay Independent Physicians Medical Group, Inc.