While certainly not the most serious, ‘dry eye’ is one of the most common problems we hear from our patients. A normal functioning eye produces lubricating tears at a slow, steady rate during waking hours. Natural tear film is produced continuously and includes three components: an oily substance secreted by the meibomian glands in the eyelid, tear fluid (essentially water) produced by the lacrimal gland within the eyelids, and mucinous (sticky) fluid produced by conjunctival cells located inside your eyelids. With a proper balance of these three components, the tear film lubricates your eyes, nourishes your cornea, and then evaporates or is drained into the nose via the tear ducts.

If these tears aren’t being produced correctly, you may suffer from stinging or burning, scratchiness or grittiness, excess tearing, stringy mucus in or around the eyes, eye irritation from smoke or wind, and/or difficulty wearing contact lenses. If a patient consistently experiences dry, burning or irritated eyes, they may be diagnosed with dry eye syndrome.

Many patients are surprised to find that excess tearing is a symptom of dry eye syndrome. If your eyes are not producing the correct combination of tear fluids, your eyes feel irritated. When the nerves in your eye transmit this irritation, your lacrimal gland responds by over-producing tears to alleviate the irritation. The tears are produced at a faster rate than they can be drained through the tear ducts, giving the appearance that you are crying.

Dry eye has many causes. Tear production decreases as we age, particularly for post-menopausal women. Allergies, arthritis, wind exposure and extensive computer use can also cause dry eye, and many prescription and over-the-counter medications can reduce tear production. While some of these medications can’t be avoided – such as diuretics, betablockers, antihistamines and pain relievers – your eye doctor may be able to help you minimize the dry eye condition.