Dry Eye Syndrome

Tear film failure causing gritty burning tired eyes

Overview

Dry eye disease is a common disorder of the tear film and ocular surface in which tears are insufficient in quantity or quality to keep the surface of the eye healthy. It is broadly divided into aqueous deficient dry eye, where the lacrimal glands produce too little tear fluid, as in Sjogren syndrome and with aging, and evaporative dry eye, most often due to meibomian gland dysfunction, where the oily outer layer of the tear film is deficient and tears evaporate too quickly. Many people have features of both. Symptoms include grittiness, burning, redness, fluctuating vision, and, paradoxically, excessive watering. Contributing factors include older age, female sex, hormonal changes, contact lens wear, medications such as antihistamines, low humidity, and reduced blinking during screen use. Treatments range from artificial tear lubricants and eyelid warming and hygiene to anti inflammatory eye drops such as cyclosporine and lifitegrast, punctal plugs that slow tear drainage, autologous serum drops, and scleral lenses in severe disease.