Have you ever thought that you might have dry eyes? Do your eyes burn or get blurry at times? Feel tired or as though there is something inside of them? Do you notice your eyes looking red or inflamed or more sensitive to glare? These are all possible symptoms of dry eyes, a condition that can be mighty uncomfortable but that can also lead to more profound effects such as corneal damage if untreated. Read on below to learn about dry eye syndrome, its causes, and what you can do to help alleviate symptoms.
What Causes Dry Eyes?
The cause of dry eyes ultimately comes down to your tears. The primary function of your tears is to keep your eyes lubricated. If you don’t produce enough tears or the tears your eyes do produce are of poor quality, the result may be dry eyes. Your eyes might have difficulty producing enough tears due to different medical conditions, medications or your age. Environmental factors can also be at play which may make your tears prone to evaporation. Your tears are also composed of specific substances meant to delay evaporation and allow them to spread evenly over your eyes, if your tears are poor quality, this may not be the case and hence you may have dry eyes.
How Common are Dry Eyes?
In one study, they found the overall prevalence of dry eye disease in the American population to be 5.28% (roughly 1 in 20 people). However, when looking at those aged 50 years or older, this rate more than doubled to 11.66%. Given our aging population, it has become more and more important for increased research in dry eye therapies. Here at Arc Eyecare, we are proud to offer a wide range of dry eye therapies and technologies to best suit our patient’s needs. In fact, we were named Top Dry Eye Care Provider by I-MED Pharma in 2020!
What Should I Do Now?
Do you think you might have dry eyes? If so, you can take our dry eye questionnaire and book an appointment to discuss your symptoms and treatment options at our ocular surface health clinic. We offer a variety of treatment options with some of the most recent technology and therapeutic advancements. Having a discussion with your optometrist can also help you narrow down some useful tips and tricks to keep your eyes feeling great – for example, take a look at this dry eye friendly makeup available at our clinic!
