What Is Dry Eye Syndrome?

Everyone can suffer from red, dry, itchy eyes from time to time. This is particularly true in the allergy season when pollen is thick in the air and even breathing easy is a chore. If your eyes stay dry all of the time, even in spite of your best efforts to keep them moisturized with over-the-counter products, you may be asking the question, “What is dry eye syndrome?”. Following is everything you need to know about this condition, its symptoms and the possible treatments.

When the eyes become chronically and persistently dry, this means that a person is no longer producing enough tears to sufficiently nourish or lubricate the eyes or that these tears are lacking in quality. This is actually a very common issue. It is especially common among senior adults given that there are more cases of this syndrome being reported among this demographic than any other.

Tears are usually associated with sorrow and crying. While this type of tear does have some merit in terms of the ability to replenish and promote ocular health, there are other, special tears that aren't actually shed. Instead, these are small amounts of moisture that are spread across the cornea or the surface of the eye throughout the day each time a person blinks.

If this system breaks down due to low quality tears or poor tear production, the eyes will redden and grow itchy and tired. The eyes can also feel as though they are gritty and have small flecks of dust or other debris in them. No amount of flushing the eyes with water alleviates this feeling in a long term fashion, given that tap water does not have the same chemical makeup or soothing effects as the body's own natural tears.

The medical term for having insufficient or low-quality tears is known as KCS or keratoconjuntivitis sicca. This is simply the more official term for dry eye syndrome. To correct the syndrome in a long-term fashion, it may be possible to implement therapies to improve tear quality or tear production. In many instances, however, a specially-formulated eye wash or eye lubricant is supplied to instead replace the lubrication and nutrients that are no longer being naturally produced.

Another cause of this condition is poor eye drainage. Excess tears pass through the tear ducts that are present in the corners of the eyes and these then drain down into the rear of the nose. If there is a blockage at any point in this drainage system, the entire process can suffer and the outcome can be uncomfortable to say the least.

While people with this syndrome often deal with constant irritation and discomfort, it is usually moderate and not likely to cause any long-term damages to ocular health. The primary concern is that excess rubbing or otherwise agitating the cornea could result in secondary problems. These include scratched corneas and corneal infection among other things. Thus, it is always beneficial to have the condition identified and professionally treated.

Seeking the services of an optometrist or ophthalmologist is best. While there are a number of over the counter products that can be used to lubricate the eye, it is important to rule out other, more serious conditions of infections before self-treating. Moreover, many store-bought medications may not be sufficient for resolving the KCS if the condition is particularly severe.

Comments

comments