Common Symptoms of Dry Eye

Dry eye is a common eye illness that happens when your tears are not enough to moisturize your eyes. It also occurs when the tears you produce are of poor quality and vaporize too fast. That said, your eyes will feel irritated and uncomfortable if you have dry eyes. 

You may experience dry eye symptoms in an air-conditioned space, on an airplane, in dry or windy weather, or after too much screen time. A comprehensive eye exam by your eye doctor can help diagnose and treat dry eyes. The common symptoms of dry eye include the following.

Stinging or Burning Feeling in the Eyes

Your eyes may burn or sting if you have dry eyes. The stinging or burning feeling may happen if you are in a dry or windy place or during high pollen seasons. These factors dry out your eye and cause your eyes to burn or sting. Talk to your eye doctor about how to relieve the burn. Drinking more water can help keep your eyes hydrated and stop dryness.

Itching

Itchy eyes are a common symptom of eye allergies, but they sometimes do not arise from allergies. When your body is not making enough tears, your eyes may feel extremely dry and itchy.

Itchy eyes are a sign that your eyes are dry. Avoid rubbing your eyes to prevent pain, inflammation, and damage. Your eye doctor may prescribe suitable lubricating eye drops to soothe your symptoms.

Eye Irritation and Redness

Itchy eyes can cause pain and irritation. The irritation can injure the tiny blood vessels in your eye, making your eyes look red and your eyelids are swollen. Your eye doctor can recommend appropriate treatment to ease the swelling and redness.

Blurry Vision

Dry eyes can cause your vision to blur. If your tears are not the right type, meaning they lack the oil component, your eyes will be too watery. All this excess fluid can make your vision blurry. Treatment can help restore a healthy tear balance and make you see more clearly.

Gritty Feeling in Your Eye

Your eyes may feel gritty if your tears evaporate too quickly and leave your eyes feeling sore. It is common to feel like there is sand in your eyes in such cases. Your doctor may include artificial tears, eye ointment, or gel in your treatment plan to help alleviate the gritty feeling.

Light Sensitivity

Dry eye impairs the transparent outer part of your eye called the cornea. The cornea is the first layer that receives light entering your eye. Without adequate moisture, exposure to light can make your eyes uncomfortable. Talk to your eye doctor if your eyes are so sensitive to light.

Teary Eyes

A healthy tear film consists of oil, water, and mucus layers. The water hydrates the eyes, while the oily layer prevents the water from evaporating too quickly. The mucus layer helps spread the water and oil evenly across the eyes for proper lubrication. When you produce too much water and not enough oil and mucus, your eyes become too teary.

Contact Lens Discomfort

If your eyes do not have enough moisture, friction between the cornea and contact lens can cause pain and irritation. Your eye doctor can prescribe gas-permeable contact lenses if dry eye makes regular contact lenses uncomfortable.

For more about dry eye, visit Envision Specialty EyeCare & Dry Eye Center at our office in Meridian, Idaho. Call (208) 490-8823 to book an appointment today.