Eye health resource
Why Are My Eyes So Dry?
Dry eyes can happen when you do not make enough tears, your tears evaporate too quickly, or the tear film does not work normally. Learn about common causes and treatment options.
Reviewed for accuracy by Justin Bazan, OD on .
Dry eyes can happen when your eyes do not make enough tears, when tears evaporate too quickly, or when the tear film does not stay stable enough to protect the surface of the eye. The result can be burning, grittiness, redness, fluctuating vision, contact-lens discomfort, or even watery eyes.
Dry-eye symptoms can have many contributors. Sometimes the problem is mainly tear production; sometimes the oily layer of the tear film is not doing enough to slow evaporation; and sometimes medications, environment, eyelid disease, contact lenses, allergies, or another health condition play a role.
Common Dry-Eye Symptoms
- Burning, stinging, or scratchy eyes
- A gritty or foreign-body sensation
- Redness or irritation
- Fluctuating or intermittently blurry vision
- Light sensitivity
- Contact-lens discomfort
- Excess tearing
Watery eyes can still be dry eyes. An irritated ocular surface may trigger reflex tearing even though the underlying tear film is not stable or comfortable.
Why Do Tears Stop Working Well?
Not Making Enough Tears
Tear production can decrease with age and may also be affected by medications or health conditions. Autoimmune diseases such as Sjögren syndrome are one example, but many patients with dry eye do not have a systemic autoimmune disease.
Tears Evaporating Too Quickly
The meibomian glands in the eyelids produce oils that help slow tear evaporation. When those oils are reduced or altered, tears may evaporate more quickly. Wind, smoke, dry air, prolonged screen use with reduced blinking, eyelid inflammation, and other environmental or ocular-surface factors can also contribute.
Contact Lenses, Allergy, and Other Eye Conditions
Contact lens fit/material, seasonal allergy, blepharitis, eyelid position, and other eye-surface problems can create symptoms that overlap with dry eye. That is one reason persistent symptoms deserve an examination rather than treating every uncomfortable eye with the same drop.
How Is Dry Eye Treated?
Treatment depends on what is contributing to the symptoms. Current dry-eye care at Park Slope Eye may include:
- Over-the-counter artificial tears or lubricating gels/ointments when appropriate
- Lid-hygiene cleansers when eyelid health is contributing
- Prescription eye drops for selected patients
- Punctal plugs when reducing tear drainage may help
- Environmental or behavioral changes tailored to the patient
Park Slope Eye does not currently advertise or provide in-office procedural dry-eye treatments. If a treatment outside our current scope is appropriate, we can discuss the next step rather than implying every dry-eye procedure is available here.
Artificial Tears and Preservatives
Artificial tears are a common first step for mild symptoms. Preserved drops can be reasonable for occasional use, while preservative-free products are often preferred when drops are needed frequently, when dry eye is more significant, or when preservatives cause irritation.
Punctal Plugs
Punctal plugs are small devices placed in the tear-drainage openings. They reduce how quickly tears drain away from the eye, which can help keep the ocular surface moist longer in selected patients.
When Should You Have Dry Eyes Checked?
If dryness is persistent, interferes with contact lenses or daily activities, causes repeated redness or fluctuating vision, or does not respond to simple measures, an eye examination can help identify contributing factors and guide treatment.
Learn more about dry-eye care at Park Slope Eye.
Originally published . Substantially updated .