Learn More about Dry Eyes Disease Symptoms and Causes

The eye is a sensitive organ of the human body. It is very prone to infection and damage, especially since it is an internal organ that is exposed externally. Most eye conditions are actually associated with external contamination, causing an imbalance in the components of the eyes. Have you ever taken time to think about what would happen if something as small as your tears were compromised? If so, then you know something about dry eye disease.

What Is Dry Eye Disease?

It is an eye condition that features dry eye sockets. This means that the eye does not have sufficient liquids to keep it moist. Ideally, the tears are responsible for keeping the eyes moisturized. This fluid allows for movement of the eyes, as well as sustaining healthy eyes.

As per most dry eye treatments in Calgary AB, it is the quality of the tears that are affected. This means that the tears are not rich with the necessary components to keep your eyes well lubricated. The components of tears include:

• 1. Antibodies – necessary proteins
• 2. Mucus – allows for even distribution of tears in the eyes.
• 3. Oils – for lubrication
• 4. Water – to moisturize the eye

When the tears in your eyes are not of the required quality, it poses a risk of infection to your eyes. It becomes difficult to read and even see clearly. The discomfort grows more by the day unless you consider dry eye treatment in Calgary.

Symptoms of Dry Eye

How will you know you have dry eye syndrome? Before you seek dry eye treatment near you, identify some of the symptoms that might be linked to the disease. This will help with quick diagnosis and prognosis. Some symptoms include:

• 1. Itchiness, burning or scratchy sensation in your eyes
• 2. Redness of the eyes
• 3. A feeling of something stuck in our eyes
• 4. Blurry vision
• 5. Sensitivity to light

While the condition is best described by insufficient tears in the eyes, there is one confusing symptom to this disease. Sometimes, dryness of the eyes can lead to too many tears. This, however, is occasional. It is a situation called reflex tearing. It is your eyes response system to the dryness.

The lack of moisture irritates your eyes, leading to the overproduction of tears at that moment. The problem with these kinds of tears is that they are full of moisture. The distress signal sent to your brain responds with a shower of water to moisturize the eye. However, these tears are still not rich with the necessary components. This means that they still will not properly coat the surface of your eyes for protection, lubrication, and optimum moisturizing.

What Causes Dry Eyes?

This is a common eye illness that affects elderly people. The natural aging process of the body has the consequence of dry eyes, particularly during menopause. However, there are other factors linked to dry eyes, including the following:

• 1. Problems that affect the closure of your eyelids – your eyelids closing back and forth is called blinking. This process is necessary to help keep the eyes moisturized and lubricated at all times. When there is a problem in the functioning of your eyelids, it leads to dry eyes.
• 2. Reaction to medication – sometimes what you are going through is a side effect of the medication you are taking. This is popular with the usage of antihistamines.
• 3. Disease and health conditions – certain health problems limit the production of quality tears in your eyes. They include collagen vascular diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, to mention a few.
• 4. Tear gland damage – this reduces the production of high-quality tears.
• 5. Eye damage – if you have been involved in an accident that hurt your eyes, it is possible to incur damage in the tear glands. This can cause many other eye problems, alongside dry eyes.
• 6. Environmental factors – this can be due to smoke, dry air, or chemicals. They cause tear evaporation, at an increased rate than the typical rate. This can cause your eyes to feel dry, even when you do not have the condition. However, if this is the environment you work at, it is important to consider protective eyewear to guard your eyes as you work.