What Are the Symptoms of Dry Eye Disease?
Dry eye disease is one of the most prevalent and often overlooked eye conditions affecting millions globally, including more than 16 million Americans. In Arizona, where the arid climate exacerbates symptoms, understanding and recognizing the signs of dry eye disease is crucial for maintaining optimal eye health. This condition occurs when the eyes do not produce enough tears or when the tear film's quality is compromised, leading to discomfort, irritation, and potential long-term consequences if left untreated.
Despite its widespread prevalence, dry eye disease often goes undiagnosed or undertreated. Many individuals attribute early symptoms to seasonal allergies or environmental factors, delaying proper management and potentially compounding the condition. Early intervention and proper management can significantly improve symptoms, enhance ocular comfort, and prevent complications such as corneal damage and vision impairment. The doctors at Nationwide Vision are here to teach you what symptoms of dry eye diseases to watch out for, when to see a doctor, and what might constitute an ocular emergency.
Understanding Dry Eye Syndrome
Dry eye syndrome, also known as keratoconjunctivitis sicca, is characterized by inadequate tear production or poor tear quality, impacting the eye's ability to maintain adequate lubrication and protect its surface. Tears are a complex mixture of water, electrolytes, proteins, and lipids essential for maintaining eye health. The tear film consists of three distinct layers: the mucous layer, aqueous layer, and lipid layer. Each layer serves a critical role in protecting and nourishing the ocular surface, ensuring clear vision and comfort.
The Composition of Tears
Tears are essential for maintaining ocular health and comfort. The mucous layer, located closest to the eye's surface, acts as a foundation for the tear film, ensuring even distribution with each blink and facilitating smooth movement across the cornea. The aqueous layer, comprising water and various electrolytes, provides moisture, oxygen, and nutrients to the cornea and conjunctiva, essential for maintaining clarity and preventing infection. This watery layer makes up over 90% of all the tear film. The lipid layer, produced by the meibomian glands along the eyelid margins, serves as an outermost barrier, preventing rapid evaporation of tears and maintaining tear stability. When any of these tear components are compromised or imbalanced, it can lead to symptoms of dry eye syndrome.
Additional factors contributing to dry eye syndrome include age, gender (women are more susceptible), hormonal changes, environmental conditions (such as dry or windy climates), certain medications (antihistamines, decongestants), medical conditions (rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren's syndrome), and lifestyle factors (extended screen time, inadequate hydration).
Common Symptoms of Dry Eyes
Recognizing the symptoms of dry eyes is essential for timely intervention and management. While symptoms can vary in severity and presentation, common indicators of dry eye syndrome include:
Burning, itching, or scratchy sensation in the eyes
Redness or inflammation of the eye surface
Blurred vision, particularly during activities requiring prolonged visual focus
Sensitivity to light (photophobia)
Foreign body sensation or grittiness
Watery eyes
Burning, Itching, or Scratchy Eyes
A persistent sensation of burning, itching, or scratchiness in the eyes is a hallmark symptom of dry eye syndrome. This discomfort is often exacerbated by environmental factors such as low humidity, wind, smoke, or prolonged exposure to digital screens. Individuals may describe the sensation as gritty, sandy, or as if a foreign object is lodged in the eye.
Redness and Inflammation
Without an adequate tear film to lubricate and protect the eye’s surface, irritation and inflammation can occur, leading to redness, swelling, and a feeling of grittiness. Rubbing the eyes in response to discomfort can further exacerbate these symptoms and potentially damage the delicate tissues of the eye.
Blurry Vision
Tears play a crucial role in maintaining clear vision by ensuring the cornea remains smooth and properly refracts light. Insufficient tears or poor tear quality can lead to fluctuations in vision clarity, particularly after prolonged visual tasks such as reading, driving, or using digital devices. Blurred vision may improve temporarily with blinking or artificial tears but can worsen over time if left untreated.
Sensitivity to Light (Photophobia)
Dry eyes can increase sensitivity to light, making it uncomfortable to be in brightly lit environments or under fluorescent lighting. Photophobia is often accompanied by other symptoms such as eye discomfort, glare sensitivity, and difficulty focusing on tasks requiring visual acuity.
Sensation of Foreign Objects in the Eye
Like the burning and itching sensations that can arise without good-quality tears, the friction caused by the lack of lubrication can cause swelling in and around the eyes. The result can be a constant feeling of something being stuck in your eye. Reducing the other symptoms of dry eye will eventually alleviate this symptom as well.
Additional Symptoms of Dry Eye Disease
In addition to the common symptoms mentioned above, dry eye syndrome can manifest in unexpected ways, including:
Excessive tearing (paradoxically)
Stringy mucous discharge from the eyes
Eye fatigue or discomfort worsened by extended visual tasks
Difficulty wearing contact lenses comfortably
Excessive Tearing (Epiphora)
Paradoxically, some individuals with dry eye syndrome may experience excessive tearing as the eyes attempt to compensate for dryness. This reflex tearing does not provide the same lubricating benefits as normal tears and is often accompanied by eye irritation, redness, or sensitivity to light.
Mucus Discharge
Disruptions in tear composition can lead to the production of stringy mucus discharge from the eyes, indicating underlying issues that require further evaluation by an eye care professional. The presence of mucus discharge may be a sign of chronic dry eye syndrome, ocular surface inflammation, or meibomian gland dysfunction.
Eye Fatigue
Having dry eyes can significantly increase visual fatigue. This is because tasks that require extended concentration can be made harder when dealing with itchy, blurry eyesight. You may have to concentrate harder to perform daily activities such as working on the computer, which tires your eyes out faster.
Difficulty Wearing Contact Lenses
Because dry eyes are ultimately an irritation of the surface of the eyes, the eye lids, and the area around the eyes, anything that goes in the eye is going to worsen the problem. In order to comfortably wear most gas permeable lenses, a healthy tear film is required that the contact lens can “float” on. Without healthy tears, most of the lens will begin to rub up against the surface of the eye, causing further irritation.
When to Seek Professional Help
Persistent or worsening symptoms of dry eyes should prompt a visit to an eye care professional for comprehensive evaluation, diagnosis, and management. Delayed treatment can lead to complications such as corneal abrasions, eye infections, and impaired vision quality.
When to Seek Emergency Eye Care
While dry eye syndrome typically presents with mild to moderate symptoms, certain signs may indicate a need for urgent medical attention:
Severe eye pain or discomfort
Sudden changes in vision clarity or loss of vision
Acute onset of eye redness, swelling, or discharge
Sensitivity to light accompanied by severe headaches or eye discomfort
Severe Eye Pain or Discomfort
Sharp or persistent eye pain is not typical of dry eye syndrome and may indicate an underlying eye condition that requires immediate evaluation by an eye care specialist. Severe pain, especially when accompanied by light sensitivity or vision changes, should not be ignored and warrants prompt medical attention.
Sudden Changes in Vision or Loss of Vision
Rapid changes in vision clarity, particularly if accompanied by halos around lights, double vision, or a curtain-like shadow across the visual field, may indicate a serious eye problem such as corneal ulceration, retinal detachment, or acute angle-closure glaucoma. Immediate evaluation and treatment are essential to prevent permanent vision loss.
Acute Eye Redness, Swelling, or Discharge
The sudden onset of significant eye redness, swelling, or mucus discharge may indicate an acute eye infection, allergic reaction, or inflammatory condition requiring prompt medical attention. Avoid rubbing or touching the eyes to prevent further irritation or spread of infection.
Get Relief for Your Dry Eyes at Nationwide Vision
If you're experiencing symptoms of dry eyes, don't wait for them to worsen. Nationwide Vision offers specialized dry eye care across Arizona, with expert eye doctors ready to provide comprehensive evaluations, advanced diagnostics, and personalized treatment plans at any of our 61 locations. Our approach focuses on identifying the underlying causes of your dry eye symptoms and implementing effective treatment strategies to restore ocular comfort and preserve vision quality.
Schedule your appointment today to start your journey toward relief and healthier eyes. Don't let dry eye syndrome interfere with your daily activities or quality of life. Take proactive steps to protect your vision and maintain optimal eye health with Nationwide Vision.