Dry Eyes Syndrome: Overview, Types, Symptoms, Causes, & Treatment

Every individual's eyes require tears for their healthy functioning and are beneficial in keeping them comfortable. However, if your eyes do not release sufficient tears, you may suffer from dry eyes syndrome.

You can find a detailed explanation of dry eye syndrome in the upcoming sections of this piece and other related details that you should know if you suffer from this condition.

Dry eyes syndrome is a common syndrome that happens when your eyes do not produce adequate tears to lubricate them. This condition may cause damage to the eye surface and inflammation.

There are 2 types of dry eye syndrome, and they are mentioned below:

• Aqueous Tear-deficient Dry Eye: The Lacrimal glands in your eyes fail to release a sufficient middle aqueous layer of tears. This results in lower production of tears.
• Evaporative Dry Eye: The Meibomian glands of your eyes fail to produce an adequate outer lipid layer of tears. This results in quick evaporation of tears.

Seek a doctor's help if you experience the following symptoms of dry eyes syndrome:

• Pain in the eyes
• Redness in the eyes
• Your eyes are burning

You may notice other common symptoms of dry eyes, and they are as follows:

• Stringy mucus
• Facing difficulty sitting at the computer or reading for a long duration
• Watery tearing
• Eyes getting exhausted faster
• Blurry vision
• Experiencing having sand in your eyes
• Feeling your eyes to be heavy

Tears contain three layers – the outer oily layer, a watery middle layer, and an inner mucus layer. Now, if glands are inflamed and fail to produce sufficient mucus, water or oil, it can cause dry eye syndrome. Moreover, a lack of oil in your tears can lead to quick evaporation, and your eyes cannot maintain the moisture supply.

Certain treatments or conditions can cause dry eyes syndrome. Take a look:

• Getting hormone replacement therapy
• Exposure to the dry air or wind, for example, continuous exposure to a heater during the winter season
• Allergies
• Wearing contact lenses for a long time
• Undergone a LASIK eye surgery
• Consuming certain medications such as nasal decongestants, antihistamines, antidepressants and birth control pills.
• Ageing
• Looking at a computer for several hours
• Not blinking adequately

You may suffer from dry eyes in case you fall in a particular age group or gender or suffer from some chronic diseases or other conditions as mentioned below:

• If your age is more than 50, then the production of tears tends to decrease, and you may suffer from dry eyes.
• Lower productions of tears are common among women. This happens especially due to hormonal changes during pregnancy, menopause or consuming birth control pills.
• You have been wearing contact lenses for a long time.
• You have a medical history of undergoing Refractive Surgery.
• If you are suffering from thyroid or other diseases that push your eyes forward, then you may experience dry eyes.
• You may get dry eyes if you have immune system disorders, rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.
• Exposure to keratitis, which is caused by sleeping with partially open eyes, can also lead to dry eyes syndrome.

If you experience any symptoms of dry eyes syndrome, consult a doctor immediately for its treatment. A doctor may conduct the following tests to assess the cause of your dry eyes:

• Overall Eye Check-up: A doctor may conduct a complete eye checkup that will help them to know about the overall health of your eyes so that they can conclude the cause behind your dry eyes.
• Test to Assess the Volume of Your Tears: Your doctor may conduct a Schirmer test to assess the volume of your tear production. They will place blotting strips of paper under your lower eyelids. After five minutes, they will check how much your tears have soaked the strips. Alternatively, your doctor may conduct a phenol red thread test, where they will place thread filled with pH-sensitive colour over your lower eyelid. After 15 seconds of being wet with tears, they will measure the volume of your tears.
• Tear Osmolarity Test: In this test, the doctor checks the composition of water and particles in your tears. If you have dry eyes, then the amount of water will be less in your eyes.
• Test to Check the Quality of Your Tears: In this test, a doctor uses a particular dye in eye drops to know your eyes' surface condition. After that, they checks the staining pattern on the corneas and determines the amount it takes before the evaporation of your tears.
• Tear Samples: Your doctor may take your tears' samples to assess whether you have reduced lactoferrin or elevated matrix metalloproteinase-9.

Here are some of the treatments that doctors may suggest to you depending on the condition of your dry eyes:

• Restasis or Topical Cyclosporine A Eye Drops: Your doctor may suggest using this eye drop twice daily in both eyes to cure the inflammation in the tear glands. This will help them to increase the quantity of tear production and improve their quality. It usually takes 1 to 4 months to lower the symptoms of dry eyes. However, you may feel a stinging sensation on application, but it gets better gradually with the treatment. In some cases, your doctor may also prescribe Corticosteroid drops before the Cyclosporine A. You may need to use this drop for 2 weeks to decrease the stinging sensation.
• Artificial Ointments and Teardrops: Your doctor may prescribe you an artificial teardrop which is a soothing treatment. This treatment may relieve the symptoms for a few minutes. However, it does not cure the underlying cause of dry eyes. If you suffer from severe dry eyes, you may need to use this drop even when your eyes are completely fine to provide sufficient lubrication. If you suffer from dry eyes while sleeping, you can apply an ointment before going to sleep. In case you suffer from ocular rosacea and dry eyes, you may use a new artificial teardrop consisting of lipids that will prevent the evaporation of your tears.
• Xiidra or Lifitegrast: Your doctor may prescribe this eye drop to use twice a day in both eyes to cure the underlying inflammation in the tear glands.
• Permanent Punctal Occlusion: This is one of the treatments for dry eyes, where a doctor may use silicone plugs if they feel that plugging will be crucial to maintain the health of your eyes or find that the tear drains' temporary plugging is working well for your eyes. Using these permanent plugs will hold the tears around your eyes.
• Temporary Punctal Occlusion: The doctor may conduct a temporary punctal occlusion, a painless process to close ducts and prevent tears from draining from the eyes. In this process, the doctor will insert a plug into the tear drain of your lower eyelid, which will dissolve quickly. A doctor prescribes this treatment to know whether permanent plugs will relieve the symptoms of dry eyes.
• Autologous Serum Drops: If you suffer from chronic dry eyes, healthcare experts prepare artificial tears from your own serum and prescribe them to use 6 to 8 times a day in each eye. However, this treatment is expensive, though often effective in curing severe dry eye conditions.
• Surgery: Your doctor may follow a surgical process to permanently close the duct that drains tears into your nose and to keep more tears around your eyes. This is possible through local anaesthetic.

Consider the following tips to prevent dry eyes syndrome

• Humidify Your Bedroom: You must humidify your bedroom to a minimum of 40% to maintain humidity while sleeping. You can measure the humidity in your room with the help of a humidity metre on the nightstand. Keep a check on the humidity during winters as it remains extremely low because the heater remains on. This may further make your dry eye condition worse.
• Take Breaks: Take breaks from your work, for example, if you continuously use a computer and don't forget to blink frequently.
• Consume Fish Oil or Alpha Omega Fatty Acids: You can have flaxseed oil, alpha omega-3 fatty acids or fish oil orally to improve your dry eye condition.
• Do Not Blow Dry in Your Eyes: Avoid directing your air dryers, car heaters, fans or air conditioners toward your eyes.
• Be Cautious of Your Environment: The air in desert areas, at high altitudes, and aeroplanes can be very dry. When you spend time in such an ambience, you must frequently close your eyes to reduce the evaporation of tears. You do this for a few minutes at a time.
• Quit Smoking: If you smoke, consult your doctor to get advice on quitting smoking. If you do not smoke, then avoid people who do. Smoking can make your dry eyes syndrome worse.
• Keep the Computer Screen Below Your Eye Level: If you keep your computer's screen below your level, then you do not need to open your eyes wide. This will lower the evaporation of your tears.
• Wear Sunglasses and Use Artificial Teardrops Frequently: Always wear your sunglasses when going outside to prevent wind and sun from worsening your dry eye condition. Besides, use artificial teardrops frequently.

Dry eyes syndrome may make your eyes feel uncomfortable, although it hardly causes permanent vision loss. However, prevention is always better than cure; therefore, it is essential to keep all pointers mentioned above in mind to prevent such a condition from happening or reduce the symptoms.