Causes and Symptoms of Dry Eye Syndrome

The so-called dry eye syndrome is caused by a chronic lack of sufficient lubrication and moistening of the surface of the eye. The consequences of this condition range from subtle but constant irritation to inflammation of the upper tissues of the eye.

Dry eyes can also be described by the medical term, Keratitis sicca, which generally refers to a reduced quality or quantity of tears.

Keratoconjunctivitis sicca refers to dryness of the eye that affects both the cornea and the conjunctiva.

What are the symptoms of dry eyes?

The most common symptoms of dry eyes are constant dryness, itching, red eyes, and a burning sensation. These symptoms alone may be sufficient for your eye specialist to diagnose dry eye syndrome.

But sometimes it may be useful for the specialist to measure the amount of tears in your eyes. A thin piece of filter paper applied under your lower eyelid, also known as the Schirmer test, is one of the ways to measure your tear production.

Another symptom of dry eyes is the so-called 'foreign body sensation', actually a certain feeling that there is something in your eye.

And it may seem strange, but dry eye syndrome can also cause watery eyes. This is because dryness on the surface of the eye will sometimes overstimulate the production of the watery component of your tears as a protective mechanism.

What is the cause of dry eyes?

Tears are a form of 'bath' for the eye. They remove dust and dirt from the eyes and keep the eyes sufficiently moist. They also contain enzymes that can neutralize the small organisms that want to colonize the eye. Tears are therefore essential for good eye health.

Tears are complex, because they contain many different essential elements, such as certain types of oil that are produced by special glands in the eyelids known as 'meibomian' glands. These oils prevent the evaporation of tears.

In dry eye syndrome, the lacrimal gland (the gland that produces tears) and all associated glands do not produce enough tears, because there is a dysfunction of the so-called 'maibomian' glands that are responsible for the production of the correct oils, which can lead to excessive evaporation of tears.

This is known as evaporative dry eye and it is now considered by experts to be the main reason or at least one of the contributing factors in most cases of dry eyes.

Dry eye syndrome can have numerous causes.

It can simply occur as part of the natural aging process of humans, especially during menopause in women. It can also be a side effect of taking various medications, such as antihistamines, antidepressants, certain medications to regulate blood pressure, medications for patients suffering from Parkinson's disease and medications for birth control, or because you live in a dry, dusty or windy climate.

If your home or office has a form of air conditioning or a heating system with dry air, this can also cause your eyes to dry out.

Another possible cause is insufficient blinking, which can occur when you stare at your computer screen or television all day. Regularly getting away from the screen is therefore the message.

Dry eyes can also be a symptom of general systemic diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or the so-called Sjogren's syndrome (which is a combination of dry eyes, a dry mouth and rheumatic arthrosis or lupus).

Also, wearing contact lenses on a long-term basis can be a cause of dry eyes. In fact, dry eyes are the most common complaint of people who wear contact lenses.

Recent research has meanwhile shown that wearing contact lenses and having dry eyes can lead to a vicious circle.

Dry eye syndrome makes the use of contact lenses less comfortable, and the evaporation of moisture from the contact lenses in turn exacerbates the effects of dry eye syndrome.

Fortunately, new materials for contact lenses and for the maintenance of the lenses are now available that can reduce the symptoms of dry eyes when using contact lenses.

Not closing the eyelids properly, disease of the eyelids and insufficient functioning of the glands that produce tears are other common causes of dry eye syndrome.

Tears consist of three essential components:

• the outer, oily moist component
• the inner, watery, lacrimal component
• the internal component, consisting of mucus and mucous substances

Each component of our tears has a specific purpose.

Thus, the lipid substances in the tears will prevent evaporation and ensure better irrigation, where the mucous substances ensure that the tears adhere better to the surface of the eye.

Each component of our tears is made by a different gland.

• the outer, oily component is produced by the 'meibomian' glands in the eyelids.
• the watery component is produced by lacrimal glands that can be found above the outer corner of the eyes.
• the inner, mucous component is produced by the goblet cells in the conjunctiva.

A problem with any of these sources can result in instability of the tears and dry eyes.

Dry eye syndrome is more common in women, which may be the result of hormonal fluctuations. A recent study has also shown that the risk of dry eye syndrome in men increases with age.

Recent research also suggests that smoking can also contribute to an increased risk of dry eye syndrome.

The popularity of cosmetic procedures on the eyelids because of the urge for an improved look is increasing in the meantime. The complaints related to dry eyes are often associated with the inability to close the eyelids sufficiently after such a procedure.

Dry eye syndrome is high in people who often work on the computer

According to a new study, more than 75% of women who regularly sit at the computer at work are at a higher risk of developing the so-called dry eye syndrome.

Researchers in Japan examined the function of the tears and the occurrence of the symptoms and signs of dry eyes in people who often used a computer for their job in the office.

A total of 561 employees with an average age of 44.3 years were included in the study results.

The participants in the study had to complete a questionnaire and also underwent tests in connection with dry eyes.

The percentage of female computer users with a clear or probable diagnosis of dry eye syndrome was 76.5%, and for male employees this was 60.2%.

The main risk factors for developing dry eye syndrome were age over 30 years and the use of the computer for more than 8:00 hours per day.

and the recommendation was therefore that reducing the intensive use of the computer can have a clearly beneficial effect on the condition of the eyes and consequently also significantly improve the public health and the quality of life of office workers.

A report of this study was published in American Journal of Ophthalmology

Are you starting to read slower? That can also be the result of dry eyes

Discomfort and redness are not the only symptoms of dry eyes. They can also have an impact on the speed of reading. This is the conclusion of a study that examined the speed of reading and the contrast sensitivity in 52 people who suffered from dry eye syndrome and a control group of 20 people.

The study showed that the contrast sensitivity did not really differ between the two groups, but that this was the case for the speed of reading.

Thus, the speed of reading clearly deteriorated as the severity of the dry eye syndrome increased in the examined participants.

A report of this study was published in the journal Optometry & Vision Science.

The use of a smartphone is linked to dry eyes in schoolchildren

According to a study, in addition to a larger monthly bill, there may be another important cost that can be associated with the use of smartphones in children.

Thus, according to an article from a specialized journal for pediatricians and eye specialists, the use of a smartphone in young children could be the cause that they develop dry eye syndrome at an early age.

Researchers in Korea evaluated the risk factors for dry eye syndrome in schoolchildren who often used a wide range of technical devices, including the smartphone.

They examined 288 children and ranked them as either children who suffered from dry eye syndrome or children with a normal, well-irrigated eye surface.

Each child received a questionnaire regarding the type of technical devices that they often used (such as on computer, smartphone and television) and the time they spent on each type of device.

Among the participants in the study, dry eye syndrome was diagnosed in 28 children (a total of 9.7%), and 260 children (90.3%) comprised the control group.

The use of a smartphone was more common in the group with dry eye syndrome than in the control group (71% versus 50%) and an increased daily use of the smartphone could also clearly be associated with an increased risk of dry eye syndrome, which may be called a remarkable conclusion.

Another interesting finding of the research is that the increased use of the computer and of watching television, measured separately, did not lead to an increased risk of dry eye syndrome.

The conclusion of the authors of the study was therefore simple and striking: the use of the smartphone is an important risk factor for the development of dry eye syndrome in children, and parents are therefore advised to clearly limit the time that their children spend on the use of video displays, and more specifically smartphones.