Mercy Eye Center

Chronic Dry Eye

Chronic dry eye is a condition that develops when:

• when the eye doesn’t produce enough tears
• naturally-produced tear film evaporates too quickly
• the composition of tears is not normal
• the eyelid’s structure makes it unable to distribute tear film evenly over the surface of the eye

Symptoms of dry eye can include:

• the feeling of having sand or grit in your eye
• eyes frequently watering, especially when watching TV or reading
• stinging, burning or itching sensation
• mucus around the eyes
• blurred or double vision

Certain people are more at risk for developing dry eye including people with:

• autoimmune diseases
• diabetes
• shingles
• HIV/AIDS
• Vitamin A deficiency

Other patients at-risk for chronic dry eye are post-menopausal women, seniors, and people who experience long-term exposure to radiation, wind, cigarette smoke or forced air heat.

Your eye doctor can diagnose dry eye with a comprehensive eye exam involving dye that is administered by eye drops. A Schirmer tear test is a process where your eye doctor uses special paper placed under your lower eyelid to measure how much tear film your eye produces.

For most people with a mild or occasional case of dry eyes over-the-counter eyedrops can be effective. More persistent cases may be treated with:

• prescription eyedrops to suppress the cause of cornea inflammation
• prescription eye inserts – these tiny inserts go between your eye and lower eyelid and slowly dissolve over the course of the day providing you with tear-like fluid to keep the eye moist
• antibiotics to reduce inflammation around the eyelids
• plugging your tear ducts or surgically shrinking the drainage area and closing the duct to better retain fluid
• special “bandage” contact lenses or corneal shields to better trap moisture within the eye