Dry eye or a symptom of a dry eye is a painful condition that occurs if the natural hydration of the eye surface of the tear fluid is insufficient.
This condition can occur in any person, but most often, elderly people are prone to dry eye syndrome, and this phenomenon is more common in women than in men.
The fact is that with age, the lacrimal glands of the eyes secrete less fluid, and, as a result, normal wetting of the eye does not occur. In addition, the composition of the tear film may deteriorate.
In addition to age-related changes, dry eyes can be triggered by other reasons. For example, taking certain medications for a long time. Such drugs include diuretics, some drugs against allergies, antidepressants, hormonal contraceptives. Some eye drops, which are used to treat other ophthalmic diseases, can also provoke a decrease in the production of tear fluid .
In addition, dry eyes can be a symptom of some general disease. For example, this is one of the signs of rheumatoid arthritis, some diseases of the thyroid gland, systemic lupus erythematosus.
Very often dry eyes also occur in completely healthy people who are forced to be in adverse conditions. Such conditions include low air humidity, windy weather, the need for a long stay in front of the monitor, etc.
Also, mechanical damage to the eyelids or the outer surface of the eye, which result from trauma or surgery, can lead to dry eyes.
What are the symptoms that characterize dry eye syndrome? As a rule, this is a feeling of pain, the presence of a foreign object in the eye. In this case, it seems to patients as if sand had got into their eyes. Sometimes there is a slight and temporarily appearing decrease in image sharpness and a decrease in visual performance after exercise.
Another symptom that characterizes dry eyes is photophobia, that is, when trying to look at a bright light in the eyes, discomfort occurs. Typically, people with dry eye syndrome can not tolerate living in air-conditioned rooms, as well as in smoky and smoky rooms.
Is this condition dangerous and can affect visual acuity? As a rule, there are no complications of dry eyes. In very rare cases, conjunctivitis or keratitis may develop.
However, dry eyes cause discomfort, so this condition must be corrected. An ophthalmologist can make an accurate diagnosis and choose drugs for treatment, so if you experience discomfort in the eyes, you should seek advice from the clinic.
To adjust the patient’s condition, the doctor will prescribe artificial tear preparations , which are available in the form of drops or gel. These drugs can be purchased at pharmacies and without a prescription. At the beginning of treatment, drops will need to be used often - every hour. Then, as the condition improves, it will be possible to reduce the use of the medicine to three to four times a day.
Sometimes it’s not immediately possible to choose a suitable preparation of artificial tears, since there is such a thing as individual intolerance. If the use of drops causes eye irritation, then the drug will need to be replaced with another.
In some cases, eye ointments, which are applied under the eyelid at night, are more effective.
In complicated conditions, the ophthalmologist may prescribe the use of stronger drugs aimed at increasing the production of tear fluid. Sometimes you have to resort to an operational method of treatment, blocking the outflow of tear fluid. And in the case when dry eyes are caused by a general disease, to eliminate the unpleasant symptom, it is necessary to eliminate the cause, that is, to cure the disease that provokes it.