Dry eyes

What is dry eye syndrome?

Dry eye syndrome, also known as dry eye disease, is a relatively common condition that happens when your eyes either don’t produce enough tears or produce tears that are of a poor quality. When this happens, it means your corneas aren’t lubricated properly and can feel itchy, gritty, or uncomfortable. Even if your eyes are watery, you can still experience dry eye syndrome.

How do tears work?

Tears are produced by several glands around the eye, the majority produced by a gland called the lacrimal gland. But they’re not just produced when you cry. They’re produced all the time and consist of 3 different layers. When you blink, your eyelid distributes the tears across your eye, keeping it moisturised and hydrated.

A watery eye shedding a tear.

The 3 layers are:

  • Mucin layer – which lines the surface of your eye (the cornea) and makes the tears stick.
  • Aqueous (water) layer – this moisturises and protects the eye.
  • Lipid (oily) layer – sits on the outer surface of the tear film and prevents the tears from evaporating or spilling out of the eye.

If there’s a breakdown in the production of any of those layers, it can leave an imbalance in the tear film which leaves you with dry eyes. For example, if the lipid layer isn’t produced properly, there isn’t enough to keep the aqueous layer in place meaning it evaporates too quickly. And, if there is a reduced amount of aqueous layer, there’s not enough moisture to keep your eyes hydrated and not enough tears are being produced.

Symptoms

Dry eye syndrome will usually occur in both eyes and can include symptoms like:

  • Gritty feeling in the eyes
  • Itchy eyes
  • Burning or stinging sensation
  • Intermittent blurry vision
  • Excessively watery eyes
  • Discomfort when wearing contact lenses

When should I see my GP?

A woman and a doctor during a medical appointment.

More severe complications of dry eye can lead to symptoms which might need medical attention.

If you experience:

  • extreme light sensitivity (photophobia)
  • very red or painful eyes
  • a change in vision

Contact your optometrist, to book a dry eye appointment with us.

Causes

Tears are an important part of overall eye health. They help to keep your eyes moisturised, clear away dust or debris from the surface of your eyes, keep vision clear, and can help to protect your eyes against infections. Dry eyes happen when your eyes stop making tears as they should.

Common factors that can contribute towards a development of dry eye syndrome include:

  • Blepharitis – an inflammation of the eyelid and around the eyelashes, which can also disrupt the glands responsible for producing tears and is responsible for around 85% of dry eye cases.
  • Hormonal changes – such as menopause, thyroid disease, or diabetes.
  • Environmental factors – like hot or windy environments, or if you spend a lot of time in a place with air conditioning
  • Recent laser eye surgery
  • Age
  • Activities that cause eye strain – such as spending a lot of time looking at screens can mean you maybe not be blinking efficiently
  • Using contact lenses
  • Underlying medical conditions – conditions such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis or Sjögren's syndrome can all affect your tear production
  • Certain medications – such as certain antihistamines
  • Alcohol usage – can dehydrate you and affect the quality of your tears

Treatment

Thankfully, there are many ways to manage dry eye syndrome – both with home remedies and medication – to help ease the symptoms and make sure you’re more comfortable.

  • Cleaning your eyelids everyday with eye lid scrubs, wipes or foams can help remove bacteria, debris and oil that might lead to blockage of the glands and cause dry eye syndrome.
  • Eye drops are readily available in most pharmacies – also called artificial tears – and can help to manage symptoms and replace tears that your eyes aren’t producing.
  • Humidifier – if you live in an arid environment or have central air heating or conditioning that is causing your dry eye problems, getting a humidifier can help replace some of the moisture in the air that might be contributing to your dry eyes.
  • Make sure you drink plenty of water each day as dehydration can lead to dry eye problems or make existing problems worse.
  • If wearing contact lenses causes dry eyes, try to limit how much you wear them. You may also find that using contact lens-friendly eye drops will help ease your symptoms while you’re wearing them.
  • If you suspect that your dry eyes are caused by a medication you’re taking, discuss this with your GP. they may be able to prescribe you an alternative treatment.
  • If you believe that an underlying condition may be the cause, this is another reason to speak to your GP. By treating the underlying condition, you may be able to ease the dry eye symptoms as well.

Additional in-practice treatment options include:

  • Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) Treatment – A light-based therapy that helps reduce inflammation and improve the function of the meibomian glands, which are essential for producing the oily layer of your tears.
  • Low-Level Light Therapy (LLLT) – A gentle, non-invasive treatment using specific wavelengths of light to stimulate healing and reduce inflammation, improving eye comfort and relieve dry eye symptoms.
  • Microexfoliation and Massage Treatment – This involves gently exfoliating and cleansing the eyelid edges with a soft tip, improving both eyelid hygiene and gland function.
  • ZEST (Zocular Eyelid System Treatment) – A deep-cleansing eyelid treatment using an okra-based solution to remove bacteria, biofilm, and debris, promoting healthier eyelids and reducing dry eye symptoms.

Takeaway

Dry eye syndrome is a relatively common problem and happens when your eyes don’t produce tears of good enough quality or quantity to keep your eyes properly lubricated.

A woman putting eye drops in her eyes.

It can be managed with products like artificial tears, but if that’s not enough, specialist treatments are available as options for more severe cases.

If you’re concerned about your dry eye condition or your overall eye health, speak to your optometrist for advice and help.

FAQs

While it’s widely recommended, there’s not hard evidence to support the claim that drinking water helps with dry eye syndrome. However, it is proven to be good for you anyway. So many sure you’re always drinking enough fresh water every day.

It depends on the cause. There’s not much you can do about dry eyes caused by ageing other than manage the symptoms. But other causes can help relieve the condition such as by adding a humidifier to your space or by switching medications.

There is a link between stress and dry eye syndrome. This is because being under stress releases hormones that can cause inflammation around the body which can cause inflammation in the glands that produce tears.

Normal dry eye syndrome isn’t a serious condition and can be easily treated or managed. However, if left untreated or if the condition progresses, it can become more serious and cause complications such as eye infections, damage to your corneas (the surface of your eye), corneal ulcers, and even vision loss.

You may also like

Red eyes
Red eyes
With the arrival of darker evenings, we’re likely to be spending more time in front of screens than we were in the summer, while in daytime we can find ourselves out in cold autumn wind. These are all key contributors to dry eye syndrome, so now is the time to think about how to help your eyes stay healthy through the autumn and winter months!    What is dry eye syndrome?  From time to time we all feel like our eyes can get dry and tired, but if your eyes regularly feel red, sore and uncomfortable, you might be suffering from dry eye syndrome.   Dry eye is common and occurs when your tears evaporate faster than usual, or if your eyes cannot produce enough tears. Tears don’t just flow when you start welling up while watching a sad film, they should always be there, to constantly lubricate your eyes. You can also have dry eyes despite tears rolling down your cheeks – if the tears are of poor quality, they stay on the surface of your eyes.  Dry eye becomes more common as you get older because we produce fewer tears and our eyelids are less effective in spreading the tears across the surface of our eyes – about 33% of people over 65 experience problems with dry eyes.  However, this condition is becoming more prevalent in young people, and it’s thought to be related to excessive screen use. When we’re looking at a screen we blink less frequently, at a lower rate and not fully, so our tears evaporate and are not spread evenly over the surface of the eyes.     What are the symptoms?  If you have itchy eyes, redness, the sensation of having something in your eye, a gritty feeling or watery eyes as you try to over-compensate for the lack of tears, you could have dry eyes.  At Leightons we can diagnose dry eye syndrome by thoroughly discussing your symptoms and making an assessment of the front of your eye (the anterior eye). This includes a fluorescein or lissamine green dye test. These dyes highlight dry or damaged cells and help us examine the flow of tears.   If you think you have dry eye and exhibit some of the above symptoms, contact our Dedicated Patient Support team on 0800 40 20 20 or book an appointment online for diagnosis and treatment.     Why does it happen?  There’s no single cause of dry eye syndrome, but there are a number of factors that can contribute:  * Due to dry, windy weather or even high altitude  * Central heating and air conditioning will further evaporate tears in the home, office or car  * Underlying medical conditions, such as blepharitis (an inflammation of the eyelids), lupus, contact dermatitis and rheumatoid arthritis  * Side effects of some medicine, such as antihistamines, antidepressants and diuretics  * For women, dry eye can happen during menopause, pregnancy, or while using the pill  * Following laser eye surgery many people initially are aware of having dry eye  * Activities like reading, writing or working at a computer without breaks. Try blinking regularly to stimulate the flow of tears around your eyes    How can it be treated?  You can make the most of your natural tears by drinking more fluids and staying well hydrated, and eating more foods containing omega 3 and omega 6, such as oily fish, sunflower seeds and walnuts.  You can also try artificial tear eye drops. This is a common treatment clinically proven to relive the gritty, sore sensation of dry eye syndrome. Pop into your local Leightons branch to pick up artificial tear eye drops such as Thealoz Duo – a dual-action eye drop that hydrates and protects the surface of the eye.    We can take a look  If you’re unsure if you have dry eye syndrome and want to book an eye test to find out, or simply want to try eye drops, just speak to your local eye care experts at Leightons.   Call us on 0800 40 20 20 or visit your nearest branch. You can also book an eye exam online. 
Learn more
Right Arrow
Navigation Previous
Navigation Next