What are Dry Eyes?

Responsible for moistening the eyes is the tear fluid: it wets the eyes, nourishes the cornea and helps the eyelids to glide smoothly. But the tear film also has a protective function. Its germicidal composition protects the eyes from infections. The tear fluid also helps to flush foreign bodies out of the eye. If its composition is disturbed or too little of it is produced, the tear film can tear. As a result, the eye dries out - an unpleasant sensation of irritation that can have a major impact on the quality of life. In advanced stages, even injuries to the cornea and conjunctiva are possible.

What are the causes of dry eyes?

The reasons for dry eyes can be of very different nature. Here you will find a clear list of possible causes for dry eyes:

Environmental influences: Harmful environmental stimuli are among the most common causes of dry eyes. Dry heating air, air conditioning systems or drafts cause the tear film on the eye to evaporate more quickly. Tobacco smoke, fine dust or car exhaust fumes also affect the eyes and disturb the tear film.

Strained eyes: People who spend a lot of time in front of the screen are particularly often affected by dry eyes - one speaks then also of the so-called office eye syndrome. It has been proven that people blink significantly less when they concentrate on their computer monitor or television. The tear fluid no longer spreads sufficiently over the eye and it is no longer moistened enough.

Diseases: Wetting disorders of the eye can also be the result of diabetes mellitus, a thyroid disease or rheumatism.

Taking medication: Taking certain drugs can reduce the production of tear fluid. These include the contraceptive pill, psychotropic drugs or beta-blockers.

Biological factors: The production of the tear film decreases with age. Women seem to be affected more often than men - especially women in the menopause.

Irritations caused by cosmetic products: During make-up, make-up particles can easily get into the eyes and irritate them. In addition, normal face creams can also get into the eyes during the day with the same effect.

Contact lenses and mechanical stress: Wearing contact lenses can be a cause of dry eyes or aggravate existing symptoms. Other mechanical stress such as diagnostic procedures or laser surgery on the eye can also affect the protective tear film.

Myopia: For example, nearsightedness that is not corrected by glasses or contact lenses increases the risk of dry eyes. The reason: people with defective vision have to concentrate very hard without visual aids in order to be able to see their surroundings correctly.

The symptoms of dry eyes

Dry eyes can be noticed differently. Paradoxically, some sufferers also suffer from watery eyes. In this case, the eyes try to compensate for the dryness by producing more tears. Here is a list of other symptoms that can occur individually or together:

Photosensitivity
Visual disorders
Swollen eyelids
Itching
Reddened conjunctiva
The feeling of having a foreign body in the eye
Tired eyes
Glued eyelids, especially after sleeping
Feeling of pressure
Blurred vision

Since these symptoms can also indicate other diseases of the eye, a visit to an ophthalmologist is recommended if the symptoms persist. Even if the urge is sometimes strong, you should not rub dry and irritated eyes - this could intensify the symptoms.

Chronically dry eyes tend to become inflamed

An intact tear film is the basis for eye health. However, if the eyes are repeatedly or even permanently insufficiently moistened with tear film and thus protected, chronically dry eyes occur. In the long term, the conjunctiva and cornea dry out, which not only causes unpleasant symptoms such as itching and burning eyes, but also increases the risk of inflammation. The cause can be a disturbance in the production of the tear film, but also an incorrect composition of the tears. For example, if the lipid layer is defective, the tear fluid does not adhere to the surface of the eye - the eye becomes dry. Purchase directly from Amazon HYLO DUAL INTENSE®