Is it Dangerous to have Dry Eyes? What Are the Treatment Options?

A dry eye can be uncomfortable, irritating, and can permanently harm your vision. Moreover, if it is left untreated for a long time, it can cause sensitivity, blurred, vision, and infection.

A dry eye occurs when the eyes do not produce a sufficient amount of tears or the tears are of a low quality. Tears play an important role in maintaining eye health as they help to lubricate eyes and wash away the debris that causes irritation.

What Complications Can Dry Eye Cause?

Did you know about 5 million Americans age 50 and older are suffering from dry eye? If it is left untreated it can cause various complications:

1. Corneal Ulcer

A corneal ulcer can occur after some injury or due to dry eye. When the dirt and other particles are accumulated in the eyes, insufficient tear production is not able to wash away particles.

The irritants can scratch the surface of the cornea, and the bacteria gets into the scratch. The infection can develop from scratch causing an ulcer.

The corneal ulcer should be treated as soon as possible otherwise it can spread and scar the eyeball causing partial or complete blindness.

2. Conjunctivitis

Conjunctiva is the clear layer of cells that covers the white part of the eyeball and the inner surface of the eyelids. It can become affected when the dry eye is left untreated.

The inflammation of conjunctivitis is known as conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis can cause redness, sensitivity to light, and irritation in the eyes.

3. Difficulty in Wearing Contact Lenses

The dry eyes do not produce enough tears. Due to this, it becomes difficult to wear contact lenses. Insufficient amount of tears in the eyes makes contact lenses overly dry causing irritation, redness, and discomfort.

The dry contact lenses contain less moisture due to which sticks to the eyeball that makes it difficult to remove them. People having dry eyes should avoid wearing contact lenses and prefer wearing eyeglasses.

4. Difficulty in Driving or Reading

The chronic dry eyes can cause blurry eyes and you will find it difficult to read or drive a car. If it is left untreated for a long time, the blurriness of vision can worsen and can cause double vision.

5. Difficulty to Open Eyes

The dry eyes make it difficult to open eyes. It will make it difficult to open eyes and cause extreme light sensitivity.

How to Treat Dry Eye?

To avoid dry eyes, you can follow some home remedies:

• Make sure you blink your eyes more often while working on a computer, smartphone, or any screen. Take frequent breaks when working on any screen.
• Remove the eye makeup thoroughly as it can clog the meibomian glands causing evaporative dry eye.
• Always clean your eyelids before going to bed. It will help to clear all the bacteria from the eyes and prevents eye problems.
• When going outdoors protect your eyes from UV rays by wearing protective eyeglasses. The eyeglasses will also protect the eyes from wind, dust, and other pollutants.

Other treatment options include:

• Artificial eye drops can be used for mild irritation of eyes due to excessive use of computers, tablets, or smartphones.
• Consult an eye doctor and discuss all the medications you are taking. Sometimes, medications such as antidepressants, birth control, and blood pressure medications can cause dry eyes. The doctor will see if your medications can be changed to relieve the symptoms.
• If you are currently using contact lenses, then you should discontinue wearing while your treatment for dry eye is going on.

The dry eye test is done to diagnose dry eye syndrome. The doctor will place numbing eye drops into the eyes to prevent the watering of eyes due to test strips. The numbing drops can temporarily cause irritation in the eyes.

Then the doctor will place a special strip of paper under the eyelid and will instruct you to close the eyes for 5 minutes. After five minutes, the doctor will take out the strip to measure the amount of moisture.

To conclude, we can say dry eye should never be left untreated as it can cause many complications. Our eyes are very sensitive and any harm to them should immediately be taken care of. If you see any symptoms of a dry, then you must immediately consult an eye doctor. The doctor will help you treat mild symptoms before it becomes serious.