A great question but what’s the answer…
Firstly, what is dry eye disease
Dry eye is a condition in which the quantity or quality of your natural tears becomes compromised. Your tears are there to lubricate, protect and nourish your eyes (among other things). If you are suffering from dry eye your tears become saltier, more concentrated, which triggers an inflammatory response.
The World Health Organisation has described dry eye disease as a condition which should not
to be ignored. The reason dry eye is taken so seriously is because it does not go away and if
left untreated it will get gradually worse impacting on quality of life and vision quality. Your eye care professional describes such conditions as ‘chronic’ and ‘progressive’.
What are the most common causes?
Aging
We are all aging, and with age the quantity and quality of the tears we produce diminishes. This is due to irreversible changes to the surface of eye’s microenvironment, with many important cell types no longer functioning as they used to, resulting in a significant increase the incidence of dry eye. You might not be surprised to learn that the number of dry eye patients doubles in
the over 80s compared to 20 years earlier.
Being female
If you are female you are 2.4 times more likely to be diagnosed with dry eye disease than if
you are male. This is because of the impact of the female sex hormones such as oestrogen.
Surges in the level of these hormones, during normal monthly menstrual cycles and at the
menopause, can bring disruption to the production of tears. There have been many
scientific studies linking changes in hormonal levels with shifts in the severity of dry eye
symptoms.
Every day medicines
If you are taking medication for another condition then it is essential you follow your doctor’s instructions. But also be aware that some widely used medicines will also make dry
eye worse. So, if you are taking HRT, isotretinoin (acne treatment), antihistamines, antidepressants,
Parkinson's medications and even ibuprofen you may be making your dry eye worse. You
might want to mention this to your doctor and eye care professional.
Other medical conditions
Many diseases, as well as being a problem in their own right, also make you more likely to
experience dry eye. This includes hypertension, asthma, eczema, any allergy, rheumatoid
arthritis, migraine and irritable bowel syndrome. The physiological reasons for these
links will vary from one condition to the next – but the bottom line is you need to take extra
care of your eyes too. If in doubt ask your eye care professional for advice.
Life style
Dry eye disease is increasingly being talked about as a life style condition.
The digital world, in which we work and live, is here to stay, and has resulted in dry eye symptoms appearing in young and old, even in children, and men and women alike. This is due to long hours spent looking at screens. These extended periods of concentration cause your blink rate to slow.
Every time you blink you are washing the surface of the eye with fresh tears. Fewer blinks means fewer tears so your eyes are more likely to dry out and digital eye strain can result.
Prolonged periods (four-hours or more) of outdoor time, either for leisure or work, also increases your risk of developing dry eye symptoms. This is due to exposure to the elements, such as wind, sun, heat and air pollution.
One often over looked life-style factor is poor sleep. The role of sleep in both physical and mental health is increasingly becoming a focus. Dry Eye is no exception with those getting less than 6
hours a night putting themselves at increased risk of dry eye, so make sure you get those
Zzzzzzs in. Interestingly, dry eye itself can also lead to disrupted sleep.
You might not be able to avoid dry eye but you can take control
In many cases it will not possible to avoid potentially getting dry eye. It goes hand in hand with the natural aging process and modern life styles. But although you might develop dry eye, your response to those early symptoms will make all the difference. Do not ignore even mild, or occasional dry eye symptoms – ask for the advice of your eye care professional and stop the progression. Left un-checked things may get worse, but with a dry eye care routine in place you can take control of your dry eye disease.
Make sure you explore the many links in this blog to bring more depth to the subjects touched on here and to help give you a fuller knowledge of all things dry eye related.
You can learn more about all things dry eye related at the DRY EYE ZONE website. Don’t forget to subscribe to the regular free information and research updates.
If you are experiencing dry eye symptoms then you should ask the advice of your eye care professional. Why not book your next eye examination with an independent optician today.
Sources:
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