The eye depends on the flow of tears to provide constant moisture and lubrication to maintain vision and comfort. Dry eye occurs when there is a lack of lubrication in the eye, and the conjunctiva becomes much less moist. This can cause pain and discomfort in the eyes. Dry Eye makes the eyes feel dry, scratchy, and gritty and old age and extreme computer usage are a leading cause of dry eye. Some of the more common dry eye symptoms include:
- Burning
- Stinging
- Itching
- Pain
- Sensitivity to Light
- Redness
- Blurry Vision
Other dry eye symptoms could include the eyes becoming red or tears may start to flood the eyes. Excessive tears are not always a good as it could mean the eyes are trying to over compensate a lack of tear production and can represent dry eyes.
Symptoms seem to worsen if you are within dry climates, with higher temperatures, in lower humidity, or prolonged use of your eyes. Your eye can only handle so many tears at any one time; the rest pour over your eyelids and down your cheeks. The tears that pour down your cheeks don’t help your eyes but are instead wasted.
