Written by
Læge
Praktiserende læge, ph.d.
Dry eyes is a condition where the amount of tear fluid is reduced and/or the composition of the tear fluid is wrong. It may occur as a passing or chronic condition.
Every time we blink, the tear fluid is spread over the cornea and the mucous membrane of the eye. The formation of the different elements in the tear fluid is dependent on many things, among others the hormone production. When we become older the hormone production alters and this is the explanation for why especially older people are frequently bothered by dry eyes.
Furthermore, dry eyes can be triggered or worsened by a number of things:
With intervals, almost everyone experience dry eyes as a passing phenomenon. Between 10 – 15 % are much bothered by it.
The most common nuisances with dry eyes are smarting, burning, itching, the feeling of having something in the eye, sensitivity to light and blurry vision. The nuisances can also appear as tiredness of the eyes in the case of much reading together with driving a car or travelling by plane. Paradoxically, you can also experience the eye watering when you have dry eyes and this is caused by the mucous membranes in the eyes are irritated. Dry eyes are frequently seen, although passing, following laser surgery.
You can make sure to take good care of your eyes with moisturising and lubricating eye drops, so-called artificial tears. Artificial tears do not cure the condition but soothe the symptoms. Avoid the things that worsen the nuisances (see the above section). Also, avoid washing your eye with ordinary water which irritates the eyes and worsen the condition because the normal fat and slime in your own tear fluid is washed away.
What can your optician do?
The optician can refer you to an ophthalmologist. The optician can evaluate whether your contact lenses function optimally.
The doctor can refer you to an eye doctor, if the nuisances are not soothed by artificial tears.
The ophthalmologist can examine whether the tear fluid has the right composition and whether there is any damage to the mucous membrane and cornea of the eye.
