Dry Eye Syndrome

Dry eye-related discomfort is one of the most frequent complaints heard by eye doctors. The symptoms of dry eyes are varied, and the list below is by no means all-inclusive, however, patients that suffer from dry eyes usually experience a number of the following symptoms:

• Dryness
• Redness
• Scratchiness
• Blurred Vision
• Foreign body sensation
• burning sensation
• sandy/gritty sensation

Dry eye syndrome often referred to as keratitis sicca or keratoconjunctivitis sicca, is caused by insufficient and/or poor-quality tears. There are three main components of human tears. Most human tears are produced by the lacrimal gland. The oily component of tears is produced by the meibomian glands and the third component, the goblet cells, keeps all the components mixed up. When one of the parts of this mixture becomes unbalanced, dry eye syndrome can occur. There are numerous reasons as to why these glands may not be doing their part.

Insufficient tear production and/or poor tear quality are the most common causes of dry eye syndrome. Inflammation of the lacrimal gland is the most common cause of insufficient tear volume. Meibomian gland dysfunction, inflammation of the glands at the eyelid margin, contributes to poor tear quality. Medications can also cause ocular dryness. Hormonal changes also contribute to insufficient and poor-quality tears.