All sorts of things can cause dry eyes, from being outside on a windy day to an underlying condition or a medication you take to treat another problem. Even wearing contact lenses can make your eyes dry, and a growing issue is dry eye caused by too much screen time.
In Honolulu, dry eye is quite common, and the experts at Cataract & Vision Center of Hawaii are knowledgeable in diagnosing and treating the condition. Untreated chronic dry eye can lead to serious complications and may have a serious impact on your overall quality of life. Our providers can help you find a treatment that protects your eyes and helps you live more comfortably.
You might say your eyes “are watering,” but a tear is much more complex than water. Tears keep your eyes moist and smooth and they protect your eyes, as well.
Each time you blink, your eyelids spread “tear film” across the outer surface of your eyes. Specialized glands above your eyes produce tears, and they drain away through tiny openings called tear ducts that connect to your nose.
Tears consist of three layers: an oily layer that makes your eyes smooth, a watery middle layer that keeps your eyes moist, and an inner layer made of mucus, which helps your tears stick to the surface of your eyes.
We’ve already noted that tears keep your eyes moist and smooth. Tears also help prevent infections, and they keep things like dust or other debris out of your eyes. Another crucial function of tears is providing nourishment to the tissues of your eyes.
Tears also help focus the light as it enters your eye, so they help you see in addition to everything else they do. Tears keep your eyes healthy, protect them from irritants, and help you enjoy clear vision.
A few common causes of dry eye include environmental conditions, like a windy day, wearing contact lenses, looking at screens too much, having certain medical conditions, or taking some medications.
Essentially, dry eye can happen because the glands that produce tears don’t make enough of them, your tears dry up too quickly or your tears drain away faster than they should, or your tears don’t work well enough—possibly the balance between the oily layer, watery layer, and mucus layer isn’t optimal.
If you have mild dry eye, or it’s only occasionally, you may be able to use warm compresses and gentle massage to deal with the discomfort. If that’s not quite adequate, an over-the-counter artificial tear may help. Sometimes, changing your diet to include more dark, leafy greens helps by increasing vitamin A, or you may need to take an omega-3 fatty acid supplement to increase tear production.
Depending on the severity of the problem, we may recommend prescription eye drops that stimulate tear production. Some topical treatments, such as ointments, exist and work better for some people. More rarely, our providers recommend a surgical procedure to block your tear ducts, which prevents your tears from draining away.
Dry eye can be annoying, painful, or in severe cases, detrimental to your eye health. If your eyes burn, itch, and feel uncomfortable often, schedule an appointment at Cataract & Vision Center of Hawaii.
