Dry Eye Is on the Rise: Here’s How to Get Relief
If you often experience a stinging, burning, or scratchy feeling in your eyes, chances are you have chronic dry eye. It affects an estimated one in 10 U.S. adults—and research shows that this condition is on the rise.
While experts believe that age and hormone changes are among the most common causes of chronic dry eye, our increasing reliance on smartphones, computers, and other screen-based technologies may explain the recent increase in cases.
“Looking at screens certainly can worsen dry eye symptoms,” says Gargi Khare Vora, MD, a Yale Medicine ophthalmologist. “We don’t blink as much when we are focusing on a screen, and this can worsen dry eye.”
Fortunately, many treatment options—including new ones—are available for chronic dry eye, ranging from mild over-the-counter treatments to prescription medications and medical procedures. “Each step up is a little more aggressive but fortunately, most patients are able to find a treatment that works," Dr. Vora says.
Treatment depends on the cause
The best treatment for dry eye depends in part on what’s causing the condition. Different problems can lead to chronic dry eye. Doctors divide the condition into three categories based on the underlying source of the discomfort:
- Aqueous deficient: Your eyes don’t produce enough tears to keep them moist and lubricated.
- Evaporative: Your eyes produce tears, but they evaporate too quickly to do their job.
- Mixed dry eye: Your eyes are affected by both issues described above.
“Most patients with dry eye have a low-grade, chronic mixed dry eye that can go through flares every so often,” Dr. Vora says.
Doctors have quite a few tools to treat this chronic condition. “Generally, if we can find the underlying cause of the dry eye, we can target our treatment accordingly,” she says.
Don't ignore dry eye
Moisture and lubrication on the surface of the eyes also play important roles for your vision. Your eyes need moisture for their health and function. Ongoing, severe dryness can damage the cornea and even lead to vision loss. That’s yet another reason why it’s important to get your dry eye symptoms under control.
