5 Top Causes of Dry Eye

Nobody likes the misery of dry and itchy eyes. You don’t have to keep suffering! The optometry staff at New Vision Optical in Wilmette, IL, has the expertise to get to the bottom of your dry eye problem.

Symptoms of Dry Eye

Simply put, dry eye is a shortage of high-quality tears. If you suffer from this condition, you might find that your eyes are red and itchy, feel like there’s a piece of grit in your eye, or have a sensitivity to light. Another odd symptom: you might find your eyes compensating with an excess flow of water that crusts up on your eyelashes and eyelids.

Causes of Dry Eye

These are the most common causes of dry eye.

1. Premature evaporation of tears. They’re gone before they can do any good. This can be caused by a dysfunction of the meibomian glands, which are supposed to secrete oil into the tears to prevent evaporation.
2. Allergic reaction. Obvious allergens are pollen and smoke. But cosmetics can also be the culprit. These can irritate the eye lining and provoke an overcompensating immune response.
3. Inflammation of the eyelids is called blepharitis. It can be caused by clogging or inflammation of the oil glands.
4. Conjunctivitis, sometimes known as pinkeye. The conjunctiva, which becomes inflamed with this problem, is the membrane that covers the whites of the eyes.
5. Keratoconjuctivus sicca, or chronic dryness of the conjunctiva and the cornea, also called chronic dry eye syndrome. When the conjunctiva’s not doing well, there aren’t enough tears.

How Can Optometry Help?

Treatments for dry eye can include eye drops to restore moisture and reduce inflammation. Without addressing the underlying cause, however, relief will be less effective and may not last. At New Vision Optical in Wilmette, IL, we’ll get to the root of your problem so we can provide a complete course of effective treatment. Call 847-230-4796 to set up an appointment and put an end to your dry eye misery.