Dry eye is caused by a large arena of factors, however, in the end there are only a handful of core disruptors that affect the homeostasis of our tear film. These include physical and anatomical variation and a decrease in the production of tears. Lastly, the most common disruptor is a deficiency in the quality of the tears being produced. This form of dry eye is called evaporative dry eye, which accounts for nearly 85% of individuals with DED.
Dry eye disease (DED) is becoming more prevalent throughout the world and in the U.S. Approximately 20-50% of people worldwide have some type of dry eye. Meanwhile, the current statistics show that about 5-15% of the population in the U.S. is dealing with this disease.
The most common symptoms of dry eye are blurred vision, grittiness, stinging and burning, redness, tearing, light sensitivity, crustiness, and discharge in the morning.
Additional factors that worsen dry eye are computer use, medications, comorbidities, hormonal changes, allergies, dry climates, contact lens use, etc…
Given that DED is multifactorial and complex, we recommend that you see your local optometrist for a dry eye evaluation to determine the severity of this chronic condition so that you can receive tailored individual treatment.