All About Dry Eye Syndrome, Treatment And Relief

By Author: Sara Roberts
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Dry eyes have affected almost everyone at least once. However, for some people it can be a more chronic condition that causes them a lot of inconvenience throughout their life. The condition is called dry eye syndrome and it affects many Americans, being more common as people age. The syndrome is caused by the amount of tears produced being decreased or an increase in evaporation in the tear film.

Typically, the abnormalities seen in the three tear layers then create an unstable tear film, which ultimately leads to dry eyes. While this can happen to younger people, however it is most common in older people. The most dominant group to develop dry eye syndrome is postmenopausal women. Certain medications such as allergy medicines or birth control pills can also directly lead to a decrease in tears as well. There are also a small portion of cases that are causes from diseases, eye disorders or injuries, or even a deficiency in vitamin A. People living in certain environments, such as dry, dusty or windy climates may also be at a higher risk.

The symptoms are generally pretty easy to spot and do not need a doctors ...
... evaluation to discover it. Patients typically notice right away that their is an increase in the dryness of their eyes. They usually begin feeling compelled to scratch at their eyes, similar to if they were experiencing severe allergies. Some patients also report that their eyes feel as if they are burning. Because it can be confused with allergies, sometimes the doctor will measure the amount of tears in their eye. A Schirmer test could also be administered, where a doctor will place a thin strip of paper filter which sits below their eyelid. This is to test the tear production capabilities of the tear ducts. With the dry paper present, the tear ducts will then begin producing more tears to battle the dryness, which will then lead to a large amount of tears.

Dry eye syndrome is similar to many other eye diseases due to it not being able to be cured directly. Patients are treated by getting the effects managed more efficiently. Artificial tears, or eye drops, are usually administered for patients to rid themselves of the scratchy feeling they experience. Doctors also recommend that if contacts are used, it should be halted during treatment. For more serious cases, some doctors recommend using Lacrisert, which will be placed within the lower eyelid and spreads lubrication to relieve the eye dryness.
About Author:
Sara Roberts is the content editor for Just Eyewear, a retailer of eyeglasses online. She writes about all topics related to buying prescription glasses online.