People with dry eye syndrome often go undiagnosed and suffer needless discomfort and eye irritation. When the eyes are irritated it affects enjoyment of every aspect of life. There are many good treatments available for the relief of dry eyes but the first step is to find if dry eyes is the cause of the problem.

There are a number of very common symptoms and even a scientifically validated questionnaire that can help identify those with this condition.

Cause of Dry Eyes

Around about 10% to 30% of people will at some time experience dry eyes. Dry eye is caused by a disturbance of the tear film. The tear film is made of a sticky mucous layer, a thick watery layer and a very thin top coat of oil that seals the tears and helps stop them evaporate. Any disruption to the quality and quantity of this layer can result in a dry eye.

There are two types of dry eye:

* Lack of tears dry eye, which occurs when the output of the lacrimal gland is affected in some way.

* Evaporative dry eye which occurs when the oily layer is disrupted causing the tears to dry out. The commonest reason for a poor oil layer in the tears is problems with the eyelids.

Risk Factors for Dry eyes

* The number of Dry eye cases has almost doubled in the last seven years. A lot of this is due to lifestyle factors.

Central heating, air conditioning, dehumidifiers, hairdryers, car windscreen demisting, altitude; air travel, dry climates, wind, air pollution, saunas, spicy foods, alcohol, contact lenses; and activities that decrease blink rate, such as driving, watching TV, computers and reading, all increase tear evaporation as well.

* Maturity is one of the commonest causes of dry eyes. The back ground tear secretions decrease with age: at 65 the tear production is half that at 18.

* Hormonal changes. Menopause and pregnancy often cause significant changes in tear production that results in dry eye.

* A range of commonly used medications have the side effect of dry eyes: antihistamines, antidepressants, blood pressure medication, decongestants, diuretics, tranquillisers, ulcer medication, oral contraceptives, beta blockers, can all dry out the eyes.

* Laser surgery. Dry eyes is one of the commonest unwanted side effects of this procedure.

Dry Eyes Symptoms

Dry eye patients commonly report the following symptoms.

* Dryness

* Burning eyes

* Gritty eyes

* Stinging eyes

* Irritated eyes

If any of the above symptoms are noticed then that can be a good clue that the person has dry eyes, especially if they also have some of the risk factors. There is also a validated questionnaire that can reliably diagnose the existence of dry eye syndrome. It is called the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI).

While it is possible to self diagnose dry eye syndrome, it is also a good idea to see an Optometrist or Ophthalmologist to confirm the diagnosis and begin a treatment plan.

There are many people who are suffering the pain and discomfort of dry eyes with out even knowing that they suffer from the condition. By examining risk factors, lifestyle and symptoms a person can be reasonably confident that they do have dry eyes. It is great relief to finally get to the bottom of a problem that causes nagging irritation day in day out.

Knowing that one has dry eyes is a great first step to dealing with the problem