If you are reading this with dry, tired, sore or irritated eyes it is time to take action

Welcome to Dry Eye January and congratulations on taking the first step towards taking control of your dry eyes.

The New Year is a time for reflection and change. January can be ‘dry’ for many reasons but let’s make this one about dry eye and ocular surface health. The reason you are reading this is most likely because you, or someone you know, are is experiencing some of the many and varied symptoms of dry eye disease. It is time to take action.

What is Dry Eye January?

Dry Eye January is an eye health initiative from Dry Eye Zone in partnership with eye care professionals throughout the country. The reason this campaign is needed is because too many people either ignore, believing it is just part of life, or incorrectly treat their dry eye symptoms, which can ultimately lead to compromised eye health.

Is having dry eyes actually a disease?

The short answer is ‘yes’, dry eye disease is actually named as a condition not to be ignored in the first ever World Health Organisations (WHO) World Report on Vision. The reason it is taken so seriously is because it does not go away and if left untreated it will get gradually worse. Your eye care professional describes such conditions as ‘chronic’ and ‘progressive’.

What exactly is dry eye?

Put simply 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.

What types of symptoms could you expect?

 Symptoms can vary widely between people. The most common symptoms are sensations of dry, gritty, itchy or irritated eyes but sometimes these are described best as ‘feelings’ such as tired, sore, aching and heavy.

Because your tears are also involved in focusing light you can also encounter temporary blurring of your vision, this often corrects itself with a blink or two. It is also not uncommon to have excessively water eyes too, which seems counterintuitive for ‘dry’ eye.

What causes dry eye?

There are many different underlying causes for dry eye, some are physical and others environmental. Top of the list has to be the aging process and hormonal changes. These are made even worse by life-style factors such as long hours on computer screens and air-conditioned or centrally heated environments. Less well understood are the impact of other health conditions such as diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis, and certain medications for conditions such as acne.

Is dry eye a common?

Because the symptoms are described so differently from one person to the next diagnosis is not always easy. It is made even more tricky because some people have dry eye disease but no symptoms at all!

In the UK the incidence of dry eye was estimated at around 30% or 1-in-3 by a study from Aston University which is highly respected in the world of optometry.

What happens if I do ignore it?

As already stated, dry eye disease will not go away and if left untreated it will progress. This can lead to significant levels of damage to the surface of the eye which will compromise both eye health and vision quality. One of the reasons why your eye care professional will want to get this under control is that dry eye will make it more difficult to get the best vision quality possible either with glasses or contact lenses.

Living with dry eye can take its toll emotionally too. There is an established link between dry eye and increased risk of anxiety and depression. For some it can mean poor sleep quality.

What action should I take?

That bit is easy. Contact your eye care professional and book an eye examination today to help keep you and your eyes healthy. They will give your eyes a thorough January MOT. And if you think you might have dry eye then be sure to tell them about any symptoms.

You can learn more about the causes of dry eye and how your eye care professional can help you at Dry Eye Zone. If you do not have an eye care professional to can contact Dry Eye Zone and we will let you know of an independent practitioner with a specialist interest in dry eye in your area.

Don’t forget to visit Dry Eye Zone and 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:

National Institute for Health. National Eye Institute. https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/dry-eye

Messmer EM. The pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of dry eye disease. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2015 Jan 30;112(5):71-81; quiz 82. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2015.0071. PMID: 25686388; PMCID: PMC4335585.

World Health Organisation. World Report on Vision. October 2019. https://www.who.int/news/item/08-10-2019-who-launches-first-world-report-on-vision

American Academy of Ophthalmology. What Is Dry Eye? Symptoms, Causes and Treatment. Written by Kierstan Boyd

Reviewed By Dr Michael A Puente, Jr. Published Oct. 15, 2024.

Vidal-Rohr M, Craig JP, Davies LN, Wolffsohn JS. The epidemiology of dry eye disease in the UK: The Aston dry eye study. Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 2023 Jun;46(3):101837. doi: 10.1016/j.clae.2023.101837. Epub 2023 Mar 30. PMID: 37003925.