15 Causes of Dry Eye and How to Treat It

If you have dry eye, you may experience redness, stinging, or a gritty sensation in your eyes.

Dry eye can be temporary or chronic. It occurs when your tear glands don't produce enough tears or when your tears evaporate too quickly.

Untreated chronic dry eye can cause a variety of complications ranging from double vision to infections, but relief is available.

Some people see a reduction in their symptoms with home remedies and over-the-counter or prescription eye drops. Reducing your symptoms also involves understanding the underlying causes so that you can prevent or avoid them.

Here are 15 common causes of chronic dry eye.

1. Aging

Even though anyone can have dry eye, this condition becomes more common the older you get. Dry eye tends to affect people over the age of 50 because tear production declines with age.

This type of dry eye is uncontrollable, but using artificial tears on a regular basis can provide extra lubrication to coat your eyes and relieve dryness.

2. Medication

Tears are composed of oil, water, and mucus. Certain medications, however, can reduce mucus production and contribute to chronic dry eye. These include antihistamines, antidepressants, diuretics, and beta-blockers used to treat hypertension.

If you take a medication and experience eye dryness, talk to your doctor. Ask about an alternative drug or a lower dose to help reduce your dry eye. You may also want to use artificial tears along with your medication to keep your eyes lubricated.

3. Computer use

Some people who work on a computer experience eyestrain and tension headaches. In addition to these issues, staring at a computer often can also affect your tears and lead to dry eye.

This is because people who work on a computer monitor tend to blink less often. As a result, their tears evaporate more quickly.

If you use a computer for work, reduce dryness by blinking more often. Blinking will help lubricate your eyes. This can prevent dryness and irritation.

If you still experience dryness, use artificial tears while working at your computer. Additionally, give your eyes a break every now and then. Look away about every 20 minutes and blink repeatedly to re-wet your eyes.

4. Laser surgery

Some people begin to experience dry eye after laser correction surgery. This procedure cuts some of the nerves in the cornea, causing the eyes to produce fewer tears.

This type of dry eye is usually temporary and resolves after a few days or weeks. Until your eyes heal, use lubricating eye drops to keep your eyes moist.

5. Menopause

Hormones can play a role in dry eye. Some women experience dry eye symptoms during pregnancy, menopause, or while using birth control pills. Hormones stimulate the production of tears, so an imbalance can reduce tear production.

Hormone replacement therapy doesn't seem to improve dry eyes. But you can talk to your doctor about lubricating eye drops to reduce dryness and irritation.

6. Vitamin A deficiency

Vitamin A promotes healthy eyes. Foods rich in vitamin A include eggs, carrots, fish, spinach, broccoli, and peppers. A diet low in foods that contain this vitamin can lead to dry eye and other vision impairments such as night blindness.

A blood test can diagnose a vitamin A deficiency. You can also ask your doctor about using eye drops that contain vitamin A, although these are not commonly used for dry eye treatment.

7. Wind exposure

Cold climates and exposure to high winds can cause tears to evaporate too quickly, leading to chronic dryness. To protect your eyes, use lubricating eye drops and wear sunglasses that wrap around your head to protect your eyes from cold and wind.

8. Sjögren's syndrome

Sjögren's syndrome is an autoimmune disorder that causes white blood cells to attack your salivary glands and tear glands, reducing tear production. Treatment involves over-the-counter and prescription lubricating eye drops. Your doctor may also prescribe a steroid eye drop.

When dry eyes don't respond to eye drops, your doctor may recommend a surgery that involves inserting silicone plugs into your tear ducts to help preserve some of your tears.

9. Other autoimmune diseases

Other autoimmune diseases like arthritis, lupus, and diabetes can also cause poor or insufficient tear production. If so, you'll have other symptoms of these conditions, too.

Other symptoms of arthritis include joint pain, fatigue, and fever. Early symptoms of diabetes include frequent urination and extreme thirst. Diagnosing and treating the underlying condition may help improve your dry eye symptoms.

Treatment for an autoimmune disease can involve an immunosuppressant drug or a corticosteroid. Diabetes involves managing your blood sugar with healthier eating habits, diet, and medication.

10. Blepharitis

Blepharitis develops when small oil glands on your inner eyelid become clogged and inflamed. Along with dry eyes, you may have oily flakes around your eyelashes.

There's no cure for this condition. But you can reduce inflammation by applying a warm compress over closed eyes for a couple of minutes and cleaning your eyelids with baby shampoo. Until inflammation improves, use artificial tears to reduce dry eyes and redness.

If your symptoms don't improve, see your doctor and ask about treatment with antibiotic eye drops.

11. Allergies

Allergies can also trigger chronic dry eye. Your eyes may appear itchy, red, and watery. An oral antihistamine can reduce your allergies, although these medications can worsen symptoms of dry eye.

If you only experience eye symptoms from allergies, ask your doctor about antihistamine eye drops.

12. Mild dehydration

Sometimes, dry eye is the result of dehydration or not drinking enough fluids. Other symptoms of dehydration include dark urine, lack of energy, dizziness, a rapid heartbeat, and not urinating.

Increasing your fluid intake and drinking more water can improve mild dehydration and ease chronic dry eye.

13. Low humidity

Dry air also contributes to dry eyes. This can happen if there's low humidity in your home, or if you sleep or work next to an air vent.

Moving your bed or desk so that air doesn't blow directly on your eyes may improve symptoms. You may also want to use a humidifier to moisten the air and prevent tear evaporation.

14. Smoke

Smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke can also make your eyes dry.

Avoid smoky environments, and if you smoke, take steps to quit smoking. Use nicotine replacement therapy or ask your doctor about a prescription medication to curb your cravings.

15. Contact lenses

Long-term use of contact lenses is another risk factor for chronic dry eye. This is because some lenses obstruct oxygen to the cornea.

If your eyes don't receive enough lubrication, switch to eyeglasses and ask your eye doctor about contacts specifically for dry eyes. These lenses are designed to help your eyes retain moisture.

Takeaway

One of the first steps to relieving chronic dry eye is understanding what's causing your symptoms. With medicated eye drops and a few simple lifestyle adjustments, you can make sure your eyes stay lubricated. This can help reduce your risk of dry eye complications.