Learn about the causes of dry eye

Dry Eyes - In order to work properly, the eye depends on the flow of tears to provide constant humidity and a lubricant to keep the vision and comfort. Tears is a combination of water, as an agent of humidifiers; oil, lubricating agent; mucus; to flatten the spread; and specific proteins and antibodies, as resistance to infection. All these components are released from special glands around the eyes.

Symptoms of dry eye

Dry eye occurs when eyes do not produce tears as it should, or when the composition of the supporters of the tear is not in the right consistency and evaporate too quickly. When tears can not lubricate the eye properly, You can experience:

• Stung
• Sensitivity to light
• Sandy sensation in the eyes
• The sensation of hot, itchy, or stinging in the eyes
• As there are concerns in the eyes
• Redness
• Blurred vision
• Tired eyes and runny
• Mucus in or around the eyes

If left untreated, this condition will cause inflammation, pain, ulcers, or scars on the cornea. In certain cases, dry eye cause vision loss. However, the total loss of vision as a result of dry eye is a very rare thing.

Dry eye may trigger tears

Dry eye sufferers may experience excess tear production falls flows on the cheek. This occurs when the eyes are not getting sufficient lubrication of the eye so that it sends a signal of emergency through the nervous system to ask for more lubrication. The nervous system of the eye and then respond to requests this emergency with eyes flooded with tears to try to compensate for the drought suffered. But this emergency, the tears are made only from water and do not have the quality or composition of the lubricant normal tears. This false tears can rinse away dirt, but will not coat the eyes well.

Dry eye can make it more difficult to do some activities, such as reading or using the computer for an extended period of time, and can decrease the tolerance to dry environment, such as air inside the aircraft.

What causes dry eye?

There are many reasons why you may experience dry eye, although a single exact cause may not be found. Some of the possible causes, among them:

1. Hormonal changes

The hormone stimulates the production of tears. A common hormonal changes experienced by women can increase risk of dry eye. An example: during pregnancy, menopause, or use birth control pills.

2. The aging process

Dry eye is more frequently experienced by elderly people. This may be caused by a tear production decreases with age, and the eyelids to become less sensitive to flatten the tears across the surface of the eye.

3. A medical condition

Some diseases can have an impact on the ability of the eye glands to produce tears, such as diabetes, arthritis, lupus, rematoid scleroderma, Sjogren syndrome, thyroid disorders, vitamin A deficiency, Bell's palsy, allergies, contact dermatitis, HIV.

Many people who experience dry eye also has a meibomian gland dysfunction or blepharitis (MGD). MGD is inflammation of the eyelid limits that could halt the tear glands to produce oil for a layer of tears. Blepharitis can be experienced by anyone, and is commonly caused by a bacterial infection or other conditions, such as rosacea

4. Medicine

Dry eye can be a side effect of the ingestion of certain drugs, such as antihistamines, decongestants, hormone replacement therapy, antidepressants, hypertension medicines, drinking acne medications, oral contraceptives, Parkinson's drugs, beta blockers, and diuretic.

5. Environment and activities

Environmental factors rather than being the primary cause, but rather to factors that can aggravate the condition of dry eye. For example: dust, smoke, wind, the Sun, the weather is dry, hot wind, being in high places.

In addition, as you read, work in front of a computer screen, writing, or activity that requires concentration of other visual, the eyes tend to be more rarely blinking. That is, a layer of tears will evaporate faster than the process of content he repeated.

6. Cosmetics

Some people who never underwent LASIK eye surgery reported experiencing dry eye a few weeks after surgery. Symptoms will usually disappear after a few months, but in some cases can go on.

7. The issue of the structure of the eyelids

Ektropion (eyelid inversion of the inside to the outside) and entropy (the outer eyelids entered into) may cause the meta to become dry and irritated skin due to the layer of tears has evaporated quickly once exposed to contact with the outside air continuously.

Dry eye can also occur due to keratitis, a condition where the eyelids not closing fully while sleeping.