Dry Eye Syndrome

Dry Eye Syndrome or Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca refers to a condition where the eyes don’t produce tears or where the tears produced evaporate too quickly. It most commonly happens to women, usually after crossing the age of 60. It causes scratchiness and irritation in the eye. The condition is not all that serious, but if left untreated can cause visual destruction and swelling of the surface of the eye.

Symptoms of Dry Eye Syndrome

• The most common symptoms of DES are:
  Your eyelids getting difficult to open on waking up
• Dryness, roughness and discomfort in both the eyes, getting from bad to worse over time.
• Reddishness in the eyes
• Eyes tending to water, especially when you out in the open wind.
• Some of the complicated symptoms of DES are:
• Soreness of the cornea
• Infection in the eye
• Increased sensitivity to brightness or light
• Vision tend to get worse
• Fell pain in the eyes
• Extreme redness in the eyes
• These symptoms should not be left untreated, as the complex situations that arise from DES can lead to permanent problems relating to eyesight.

Importance of tears:
Tears are made of a number of ingredients which include, water, fats, proteins, mucus and infections fighting cells. Tears are important because:

• They grease the eyes, keeps it clean and dust-free
• They protect they eyes from various infections
• They soothe the person’s vision

Causes of Dry Eye Syndrome

• DES can occur due to various causes, some of which are;
• Environment
• The environment causes the eyes to dry up and makes the tears disperse. Constant exposure to the environmental factors leads to

DES. Some of the factors are:

• Wind
• High altitude
• Dry climate
• Sun
• Hot air

Occupation

When a person is involved in an activity which requires visual concentration, like reading, working on a computer or writing, he/she tends to blink lesser times. This causes the tears to vanish, leading to Dry Eye Syndrome.
Medicines
A few medicines that cause DES are mentioned below:
Diuretics
Antidepressants
Beta blockers
Antihistamines

Laser Surgery

A person, who has undergone laser assisted in-situ kertomileuis (LASIK) surgery, tends to develop DES in the weeks after the surgery.
Contact Lenses- cause irritation and dryness in the eyes.
Menopause- changes in the hormones during menopause lead to a decrease in the production of tears.
Medical Conditions
A person who is afflicted with Dry Eye Syndrome is likely to get Blepharitis (a skin condition associated with rosacea and seborrhoeic dermatitis)
Medical conditions like conjunctivitis and contact eczema may be the cause of developing Dry Eye Syndrome.
Other medical conditions like HIV, Bell’s palsy, Sjodrens syndrome, Lupus, Scleroderma, Rheumatoid arthritis, Shingles, Previous traumas, etc could cause DES.

Aging

As a person gets older, his/her production of tears lessens. This cause of DES, when studied together with the underlying effects of menopause, gives a clear explanation of why DES is more common among elderly women.