Dry Eyes

Symptoms

Do you have frequently gritty sensation in your eyes?
Do your eyes often water excessively?
Do you have difficulty opening your eyes in the mornings?

How come an eye can be dry when it waters excessively?

This is a paradox but is typical of dry eyes. There are normally two different types of tear production. One is called “basal” and this keeps the eyes lubricated at all times without producing excessive tears and without the person knowing. Then there is “reflex” tear production, which occurs only during emotions and when agents such as dust or the smell of onions irritate the eyes. This does not occur under normal circumstance without a stimulus. When there is deficiency in “basal” tear production, the front of the eye dries out stimulating the “reflex” tears. The reflex tears over-flood the eyes. In severe cases there may be excessive mucous accumulation in the eyes as the there is not enough water to make the natural mucous secretions flow freely.

What is the function of tears?

Basal tear production is important to keep a smooth surface to the front of the eye, which is vital for clear vision. It also provides lubrication to the eyelids. Reflex tears help to washout irritants in the eyes.

Why do you get dry eyes?

There is a constant decrease in basal tear production in adulthood. It may reach a stage in some people when it becomes symptomatic. Sometimes, it may be associated with few medical conditions such as Rheumatoid Arthritis and Sarcoidosis. In such cases it is labelled as Sjögren’s Syndrome.

What is the treatment?

There is no cure but in most circumstances, dry eyes can be easily controlled by the frequent instillation of “artificial tears”. Such agents are available without prescription from pharmacists such as:
Hypromellos
Tears Naturale™
Liquifilm Tears™
Hypotears™
Viscotears™
Gel Tears™
There are also “Ointments” that can be used for lubrication. They last much longer than eye drops but they do blur the vision temporally. Therefore, they are particularly suited at night before bedtime. Examples of such ointments:
Simple Eye Ointment
Lacrilube™
Ilube™
In some resistant and very severe cases, there could be other medical and surgical approaches. However, these require monitoring by an eye doctor.