What Is Dry Eye Disease?
When itchy, burning eyes feel like more than just seasonal allergies, you might be suffering from dry eye disease.
Dry eye disease is quite common. It’s usually a result of one of 2 issues — inadequate tear production or poor-quality tears.
Poor-Quality Tears
If the 3 main layers that make up your tear film are out of balance, you could end up with dry eyes. Oil, water, and mucus all work together to make sure your eyes are lubricated and comfortable.
The mucus layer ensures your tears are spread properly over the entire surface of the eye. If your tears lack oil, they can evaporate quicker than they should, leading to dryness.
Inadequate Tear Production
Chronic dry eyes can occur if your eyes don’t produce enough tears. Diseases like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis can cause inadequate tear production. Damage to the tear glands themselves, as well as normal aging, can also be responsible.
Chronic dry eyes require treatment to ease discomfort. You’ll also want to get treatment to prevent some of the complications associated with chronic dry eye. Booking a comprehensive eye exam is the first step to finding relief.
