Today, we strain our eyes more than ever before. We are exposed to air pollution more than in the past, we cannot leave the screens that harm our eyes for hours, and we cannot give up using cosmetic products even though we know that it can cause irritation. When we disrupt the balance of our eyes, which are very sensitive by nature, we encounter many problems, especially dry eye syndrome. Dry eye syndrome is not only caused by the choices we make, but when our general health deteriorates and our systemic diseases appear, its effects are also reflected in our eyes. For this reason, we should not be insensitive to any complaints that affect our eyes. Our neglected complaints can have a profound and undesirable effect on our health, reducing treatment options over time.
Dry eye syndrome, also called dry eye among the people, is a very common condition that occurs when our tears cannot sufficiently wet and moisten our eyes. There may be different reasons behind the tears not moisturizing our eyes enough. Sometimes the decrease in the amount of tear secretion, sometimes the evaporation of tears faster than necessary, and sometimes the decrease in the quality of the tears produced can trigger the formation of dry eye syndrome.
Dry eye syndrome can cause complaints such as stinging and burning in the eyes of the person. In the course of daily life, staying in an air-conditioned room for a long time, getting on a plane, riding a bike, or staring at a computer screen for a few hours can trigger dry eye symptoms.
The treatment of this syndrome, which can occur for different reasons, is very important to increase the life comfort of patients. I’ll go into detail about dry eye causes, dry eye symptoms, and dry eye treatment in a moment, but first I want to explain the role of tears in our visual health.
The tear has a structure consisting of two separate layers, the lipid layer and the aqueous layer. The lipid layer is secreted by the Meibomian glands at the edge of our eyelids and forms the outer layer of the tear, preventing the evaporation of the aqueous layer. If the function of the meibomian gland decreases with aging or because of inflammation, then tear stability decreases and dry eye syndrome may occur.
The aqueous layer of the tear, on the other hand, has important duties closely related to eye health, such as nourishing the cornea, preventing infection and repairing damaged tissues. The aqueous layer under the lipid layer is secreted by the “lacrimal gland” under the upper eyelid. In addition to water, the aqueous layer of the tear contains various proteins, electrolytes, mucin, mucus, vitamins, and amino acids.
When we blink, our tears spread to the cornea layer of our eyes and form a film layer on the cornea. The tear film is responsible for keeping the eye moist and for the healthy functioning of the eye. When the tear covers the surface of the eye, it also acts as a shield against substances that can irritate the eye.
Since there are no blood vessels on the anterior surface of the eye, tears also play a role in the transport of oxygen and nutrients to the cells. It is also possible to prevent eye infection, heal the damage on the surface of the eye, and refract the light correctly and present a clear image, again due to tears.
What is Dry Eye Syndrome?
Summarizing the detailed explanations I just made, “What is dry eye syndrome?” I would like to give a short answer to the question.
dry eye syndrome; Caused by the decrease in tear secretion or the decrease in the quality of the secreted tears and inability to fulfill their functions; It is a disease that causes eye irritation and reduces the comfort of life, and if left untreated, it can lead to vision loss.
There is a close connection between the causes of dry eye syndrome and the causes of decreased tear secretion and decreased tear quality. Therefore, while giving information about the causes of dry eye, I will focus on the causes of these two main changes that cause dry eye syndrome.
What Causes Dry Eye?
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Decreased Tear Secretion
Decreased tear secretion is one of the three main causes of dry eye syndrome. There are many reasons for the decrease in tear secretion. The main reason for the decrease in tear secretion is the deterioration of the functions of the lacrimal glands over time. However, apart from aging, diseases such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, thyroid disorders, vitamin A deficiency, Sjörgen syndrome and systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) are known to damage the functions of the lacrimal glands.
Some medications may also cause decreased tear secretion of the lacrimal glands. Side effects of drugs that suppress allergic reactions, such as antihistamines, antidepressants, hormone replacement therapies, acne medications, birth control pills, Parkinson’s disease drugs, and decongestants can also cause dry eye syndrome.
Dry eyes can also occur when inflammation and damage from radiation affect the tear glands.
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Increase in Tear Evaporation
Even if there is no decrease in tear secretion, factors that cause rapid evaporation of tears can also be shown among the causes of dry eye. Dry eye caused by tear evaporation is called “evaporative dry eye”.
Evaporation of the tear occurs as a result of insufficient secretion of the lipid layer that protects the eye by the Meibomian glands. If the meibomian glands are blocked, the lipid layer cannot integrate with the other components of the tear. Therefore, the mechanism that prevents the evaporation of tears is damaged and eye dryness occurs.
Exposure to wind a long time, chemicals, cigarette smoke or dry air; Looking at the computer screen for a long time and anatomical problems in the eyelids can cause evaporative dryness of the eyes.
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Change in Tear Composition
The layers that generate the tear fluid contain fat, mucus, protein, vitamins and various organic substances. If the ratio of these substances to each other changes, tears lose their ideal properties. The differentiation of the tear structure may result in insufficient moistening of the eye and cause dry eye.
In addition to the causes of dry eye syndrome mentioned above, risk factors that trigger the formation of dry eye syndrome can also be mentioned. Dry eye risk factors include passing the age of 50,
using contact lenses, vitamin A deficiency, use of birth control pills, indoor and outdoor air pollution, frequent air travel,
Causes such as smoking, lack of Omega-3 and changes in postmenopausal hormones in women can be listed.
What Are the Symptoms of Dry Eye?
- Burning sensation in eyes
- Itchy eyes
- Pain
- Dryness and sensitivity
- Stinging sensation
- Decreased or blurred vision
- Excessive watering of the eye
Although the most common dry eye syndrome symptoms are the ones listed above, inflammation and damage to the eye surface are also among the symptoms of dry eye.
Dry Eye Diagnosis and Treatment
In order to successfully treat dry eye disease, the factors that cause dry eye syndrome must be correctly identified. In other words, it is important to make a complete diagnosis of dry eye for the success of dry eye treatment. During the diagnosis of dry eye;
A comprehensive eye examination is performed. In this process, in which the general health and eye health of the patients are evaluated, information is obtained about the patient’s complaints and symptoms.
Schirmer test can be applied. The dry eye test, which is performed to place test papers on the lower eyelid of the patients and to measure how wet the paper is in a specified time period, gives information about the tear volume.
Other tests may be used to determine the tear quality.
As a result of all these tests, ophthalmologists can determine the main factor causing dry eye syndrome and dry eye treatment can be planned accordingly.
If dry eye syndrome complaints are minimal and affect the patient’s daily life very little, artificial tear drops can be used. However, as the symptoms getting worse, the treatment process should be detailed.
In dry eye treatment, it can be aimed to eliminate the condition that causes dry eye syndrome, to increase tear quality or to reduce tear evaporation.
Within the treatment of dry eye syndrome;
Medications can be used to reduce eyelid inflammation. Inflammation of the eyelids can prevent the sebaceous glands from transferring lipids to the tears. Antibiotics can be used in the treatment of dry eye caused by inflammation of the eyelid.
The use of eye drops may be recommended to control corneal inflammation.
It may be necessary to use cholinergic drugs that stimulate tear production. These medications can be taken in pill, gel, or eye drop form.
Medication may not always be sufficient in the treatment of dry eye. Ophthalmologists may recommend temporarily plugging the tear ducts or closing the area with a laser in order to prevent the loss of tears in the tear ducts when necessary.
Dry eye is a health problem that should not be ignored and can affect a person’s vision and reduce their quality of life. Dry eye treatment should be planned individually and patients who experience dry eye symptoms must undergo a comprehensive eye examination. Dry eye should be considered as a symptom of different diseases rather than being a health problem in itself. It should not be forgotten that both environmental factors and systemic diseases in the person can cause dry eye syndrome, and attention should be paid to diagnosis and treatment processes.
“A lot of information about herbal treatment of dry eyes can be accessed on the internet. However, one should not act on information from the internet without the approval of ophthalmologists. Some herbs can interact with medications or cause eye damage.”
Can Dry Eyes Be Prevented? How to Reduce the Risk of Dry Eyes?
If you’re starting to show signs of dry eyes, you can take these steps to keep your symptoms from getting worse:
Try not to get direct airflow into your eyes. Protect your eyes while drying your hair, avoid direct exposure to air from the air conditioner.
Especially in winter, indoor air can get dry, so you can use a humidifier. However, you should not ignore the cleaning of this device frequently.
You can wear safety glasses when you go out to reduce the effect of wind and dry air.
If you are doing work that requires visual concentration, take a break, do not tire your eyes too much, repeat the blink movement from time to time.
Your eyes can get dry on the plane. If you spend a lot of time in such places, you should try to prevent the evaporation of tears by resting your eyes.
While working on the computer, make sure that the screen is below your eye level. When looking at the screen above your eye level, you have to open your eyes more than necessary, and this may increase the rate of tear evaporation.
For both your general health and to prevent dry eyes, you should quit smoking and take care not to be exposed to cigarette smoke. The chemicals in cigarettes can damage your eyes.
If you have chronic dry eyes, you can regularly use artificial tear drops recommended by your eye doctor.
You should drink plenty of water to prevent dry eye syndrome.