Why Are My Eyes So Dry All the Time?

Dry eyes are incredibly irritating, but they do more than bother you with burning, scratchy eyes. They cause eye fatigue and blurry vision, and without treatment, the lack of nourishing tears can lead to inflammation, infections, and corneal scarring.

You may find relief with over-the-counter eye drops. But it’s also crucial to protect your eyes by treating the underlying cause.

At Eye Care & Surgery, our experienced team will identify the reason you have dry eyes and create a customized treatment plan that targets your specific needs.

You’ll appreciate why personalized care is vital as you learn about the reasons you may have dry eyes.

Why eyes depend on tears

Most people believe blinking helps protect their eyes from dust and debris, and it does. But that’s not the only reason you blink.

Every time you blink, the movement spreads a layer of tears over your eyes. Tears have a specific balance of oil, water, and mucus that’s essential for moisturizing your eyes, rinsing away irritants, and nourishing and protecting the cornea.

Your eyes depend on high-quality tears to stay healthy. Any change in the amount of tears or the balance of components will cause irritated, dry eyes.

Dry eye causes

There are many possible reasons you may constantly struggle with dry eyes, including:

Prolonged screen time

You’re not aware of subtle changes in blinking (unless something gets in your eye). But blinking slows down when you’re watching TV and looking at computer, tablet, and smartphone screens.

Slower blinking means you don’t refresh the tear film as often as needed to prevent dryness, irritation, and eye fatigue.

Environment

Your environment can cause dry eyes or worsen the condition when there’s another underlying cause. You’re more likely to struggle with dry eyes if you spend much time in the following conditions:

• Wind
• Sunlight
• Dry environment (low humidity)
• Heating, air conditioning, and fans
• Exposure to dust, sand, and smoke

You can avoid these issues by wearing protective eyewear, limiting your exposure when possible, and positioning yourself so air vents or fans don’t blow directly into your face.

Eye conditions

Eye conditions that may cause dry eye syndrome include:

• Eye allergies
• Eyelid inflammation (blepharitis)
• Inflammation and infections (uveitis, keratitis, iritis)
• Infectious keratitis
• Reduced tear production
• Oil gland dysfunction (meibomian gland dysfunction)
• Not enough water in your tears (aqueous-deficient dry eye)
• Tears dry too quickly (evaporative dry eye)

The meibomian glands in your eyelids produce the oil (lipids) that ensure your tears don’t evaporate too quickly. The glands may become blocked or their function may be affected by aging, medical conditions, and environmental factors.

Medical conditions

At least half of the people with diabetes develop dry eyes, as high blood sugar affects the eye glands that produce the water and oil your body uses to produce tears.

Thyroid disease can affect the tear film, too. Your risk of dry eyes is also higher if you have certain neurological conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, Bell’s palsy, and trigeminal nerve dysfunction.

Dry eyes are a common symptom of Sjögren syndrome, an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system mistakenly attacks moisture-producing glands in your mouth and eyes.

Other autoimmune disorders may affect your tear film. For example, dry eye syndrome is a common complication of lupus (keratoconjunctivitis sicca).

Medications

Prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) eye drops can affect the tear film. If OTC eye drops irritate your eyes, switch to a preservative-free brand, as the preservatives are often the cause of irritation.

Classes of medications that may contribute to dry eyes include:

• OTC cold medicines
• Antihistamines
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen and naproxen
• Beta-blockers (blood pressure medicines)
• Pain relievers
• Diuretics (increase urination to eliminate excess water)
• Hormonal changes and hormone-based medicines
• Anticholinergic drugs

Anticholinergics are used for many conditions, ranging from asthma to Parkinson’s disease.

Other risk factors

Using extended-wear contact lenses and improper lens cleaning can lead to keratitis, which causes dry eyes. Aging is also a factor, because tear production declines over time.

Women are more likely to have dry eyes, partly due to natural hormone changes, but also because they develop autoimmune diseases more often than men.

Comprehensive care for dry eye

Don’t wait to seek help for dry eyes. The longer the problem exists, the greater your risk of developing eye complications.

Call us at Eye Care & Surgery or schedule an appointment online if your vision changes, dry eyes don’t improve with OTC remedies, or your symptoms get worse. We have offices in the Fort Washington neighborhood of Manhattan, the Bronx, and New Rochelle, New York.