Dry eyes can be uncomfortable. The dryness may make your eyes feel dry or hot. Your eyes may also water a lot. In some cases, dry eyes make it feel like there is sand or dirt in your eyes.
From time to time, dry eyes may cause you to have blurry vision. But dry eyes don't usually cause lasting problems with vision.
There are many causes of dry eyes. Sometimes dry weather, smoke, or pollution can bother the eyes. Other times, allergies or contact lenses irritate the eyes. Older people often have dry eyes because our eyes do not make as many tears as we age. In some cases, diseases can cause dry eyes. These include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and Sjögren's syndrome. In other cases, medicines are to blame. Your doctor may want to do tests to help find the cause of your dry eyes.
You can work with your doctor to find ways to help your eyes feel better. Home treatment often helps.
Symptoms of dry eyes include:
Symptoms may get worse at the end of the day and in drafty, dry, smoky, or dusty environments.
Dry eye may also cause a type of keratitis (inflammation of the cornea). Changes in the type of contact lens and the way the lens sits on the eye may help correct this problem.
Dry eye symptoms can be especially bad in people who wear soft contact lenses. Soft lenses absorb water from the eye surface and make the eye dry. Dryness may lead to patchy loss of cells in the cornea. Trying a different type of lens may help the problem.
Not having enough tears (dry eye) is caused by a lack of one or more of the substances that make up tears. Dry eyes are common in those who wear contact lenses. Eye diseases, other diseases, and certain medicines can also cause dry eyes.
Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:
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