Tears play an important role in keeping your eyes healthy and in helping you see clearly. Sometimes, your glands may not produce enough tears or the tears produced may not be of good quality. What does the latter mean? Tears are a mixture of water, oil, and mucus. Each of these components plays an important part in keeping your eye healthy. Imbalances in their production leads to poor quality of tears. Both conditions – lack of enough tears and poor quality of tears – result in a disease known as dry eye.
Why causes dry eye?
The following factors can play a part in causing dry eye.
- Age: As you grow older, you tear production reduces. Dry eyes is a natural consequence of aging.
- Hormonal imbalances: In women, hormonal changes caused by taking oral contraceptives, pregnancy, and menopause can cause dry eyes. Men are less likely to develop dry eyes than women.
- Environmental conditions: Living in areas having dry climate, or being exposed to smoke and wind, can cause tears to evaporate quickly. Other factors leading to dry eyes include insufficient blinking, particularly when staring at computer screens for a long duration.
- Health issues: Diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid problems, among others can cause dry eyes. Apart from these, any problems with the eye itself, like blepharitis or inflammation of eye lids, or the inflammation of eye surface can also lead to the development of this condition.
- Medication: Using antihistamines, medications for blood pressure issues, antidepressants, and decongestants can all lead to the formation of dry eye disease.
- Other causes: Although uncommon, dry eye can be a side effect of contact lenses or LASIK surgery.
There are various treatments for dry eye disease. Artificial tear solutions, including omega-3 fatty acids in your diet, blinking more often, and surgical procedures to reduce your tear drainage by blocking ducts can help you to overcome the problem.
Want To Learn More About Dry Eye? Contact North Toronto Eye Care
To learn more about dry eye treatment or any of the services we offer, contact us today to schedule an appointment. Our offices are located in Toronto, Ontario, and we can be reached at 1-888-748-2021. We look forward to hearing from you.