Symptoms and risk factors for dry eye syndrome
Symptoms of the disease
Usually both eyes are affected by the dry eye syndrome. The symptoms are as follows:
- feeling of sand in the eye,
- eye discomfort,
- tingling;
- mild burns;
- irritation;
- fluctuating blurred vision;
- eye fatigue;
- presence of mucus around the eyes;
- difficulty wearing contact lenses;
- sensitivity to light, wind, cold, smoke, etc.
- itchy eyes and sometimes red eyes (but not always)
- excessive tearing,
- want to close my eyes
Schirmer test Sometimes there are feelings of dry eyes or eye discomfort when the eye is not really dry. To objectify the dry eye, the doctor can do the Schirmer’s test of placing a special absorbent paper in the corner of the eye for 2 minutes and measuring the length of the tear-soaked paper. |
Risk factors
Several factors can influence the risk of suffering from dry eye syndrome:
- Age. As we age, the tear glands no longer produce enough tears or provide poor quality tears which leads to dry eyes. Many people over the age of 60 experience dry eye problems.
- The female sex: women are twice as prone to dry eye problem as men.
- Hormonal changes. Women are more prone to dry eye than men, especially during pregnancy or after menopause.
- Medications. Some medications can cause dry eyes, such as birth control pills, antidepressants, pain relievers, anticonvulsants, antihistamines, decongestants, diuretics, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, sleeping pills, anti-acne drugs (roaccutane) etc.
- Work in front of a screen. Screen work is associated with a decrease in the frequency of eyelid fluttering, a mechanism that moistens the eye. Blinking less leads to dry eyes and the feeling of irritation that comes with it.
- Environment. Air pollution, cigarette smoke, dust, air conditioning, wind, pollution, can all cause dry eyes.
- Refractive surgery (LASIK). Laser treatment often results in transient dryness that can last from 6 months to 12 months.
- Gougerot-Sjögren syndrome or sicca syndrome. This autoimmune disease affects the salivary glands in the mouth and the tear glands in the eyes, causing dryness of the mucous membranes.
- other maladies, such as rheumatoid arthritis, Bell’s palsy, diabetes, and thyroid disease, can lead to dry eyes. Infectious conjunctivitis can also cause temporary dry eyes after healing, as can allergic conjunctivitis or rosacea of the eyelids.