When the ophthalmologist tells you that you have dry eyes, what is the first thing that runs through your mind? What in the world is that? That's what I said when I was diagnosed with extremely dry eyes not too long ago. In fact, the doctor told me if I did not start treatment right away, then my corneas could be damaged. That's getting ahead of myself, though.

Dry eye is a condition where there are not enough tears to lubricate and nourish the eye. Tears are needed in order to maintain the health of the front of the eye's surface and for providing clear vision. People who have this problem either have a poor quality of tears or they do not produce enough tears. This is a common and oftentimes chronic problem especially in older adults.

As you blink, tears are spread across the front of the eye's surface which is called the cornea. Tears do several things: they reduce the risk of getting an eye infection, they lubricate the eyes, they wash away any foreign material in the eye, and they keep the eyes' surface smooth and clear. When a person has an excessive amount of tears in the eyes, they flow into small drainage ducts which are found in the inner corners of the eyelids. They drain in the back of your nose.

Symptoms of Dry Eyes

When a person has dry eyes, they may experience the following symptoms:

• o Pain
• o Sensitivity to light
• o A gritty sensation
• o A feeling that one has either a foreign body in the eye or has a ton of sand in the eye
• o Itching
• o Blurring of vision
• o Redness

At times, a person who has dry eyes will have excess tears that will run down the cheeks which make the patient look like he or she is crying. This happens when the eye is not getting enough lubrication. The eye sends a signal of distress through the nervous system that it needs more lubrication. In response, the eyes are flooded with tears in order to compensate for the dryness. However, these tears are mainly water and do not have the rich composition or the lubricating qualities of normal tears.

Go to top of "What are Dry Eyes?"