Dry eye is a condition that happens from a poor tear film or not enough tears. There are 3 layers to the tear film:
- Mucus layer: inner layer that keeps tears adhered
- Watery layer: washes away debris and lubricates
- Oily later: keeps tears from evaporating
A poor tear film or lack of tears can occur from many causes:
- Dry, windy areas
- Certain conditions or diseases
- Medication side effects
- Contact lenses
- Post refractive surgery
- Swelling of lids
Here are some symptoms of dry eye that might surprise you!
All the stinging and all the burning:
If there is a lack of lubrication, dry spots can form on the front of the eye. When the air touches or when you blink, it can cause irritation and an uncomfortable sensation. In turn, this irritation can be read as burning or stinging.
It’s not the sad movie, it’s just excessive tearing:
The glands that produce your tears to lubricate your eyes. Also, the glands will react when there is emotion or irritation. If there is a lack of other tear film layers, it will increase the production of your tears. In other words, with a poor tear film your eyes will water more!
Sleepy eyes:
Everyone’s eyes get a bit tired near the end of the day. People who experience dry eye tend to have eyes that get tired quicker. This is due to the pesky dry spots over the front of the eye. In conjunction with the dry spots, eyelids may start to droop to recover the tired eyes.
The blurriness comes and goes:
If there are spots of dryness and wetness on the front of your eye, this will cause blurriness. This is from the fact that the dry spots don’t reflect light the same way as the wet spots do. Therefore, your vision becomes distorted.
Ahh the redness:
No matter the reason, if your eyes are unhappy, they will turn red. It happens because the blood vessels in the area known as the conjunctiva increase the blood supply.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, book an appointment with one of our optometrists. Click here to book online or call/text us at (403) 320-6414.
