Dry eyes may not seem like a serious issue to most, but for some it can be debilitating and seriously impact your day-to-day life. Dry eyes can occur for a number of reasons, but the real cause boils down to one of two reasons: 1) your eyes are not producing enough tears, or 2) the tears produced aren’t lubricating enough.
Dry eyes from not enough tears
Your body may not be producing enough tears to adequately lubricate your eyes. This medical condition, called keratoconjunctivitis sicca, can be caused by a variety of factors:
- Aging
- Comorbid medical conditions like Sjogren’s syndrome, allergic eye disease, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, graft vs. host disease, sarcoidosis, thyroid disorders or vitamin A deficiency
- Medications both OTC and prescription such as antihistamines, decongestants, oral contraceptives, sleeping pills, blood pressure medication, diuretics, pain relievers, antidepressants, and anti-anxiety medications
- Eye injuries and refractive surgeries (PRK & LASIK)
Dry eyes from poor quality tears
On the other hand, you may be producing enough tears, but the quality of those tears isn’t lubricating enough. Natural tears are composed of three layers: (1) the outer oily layer; (2) the middle watery layer; (3) the inner mucus layer. But this delicate balance of components can be disturbed, causing dry eyes. Causes can include:
- Blocked meibomian glands (the glands that produce the oily part of your tears)
- Blinking less often
- Eyelid problems, such as the lids turning outward (ectropion) and the lids turning inward (entropion)
- Eye allergies
- Preservatives in topical eyedrops
- Environmental factors like sun, wind, cold, dry air, indoor heating, air conditioning and high altitudes
