Dryness in any form can be uncomfortable, be it dryness in the skin or mouth, and eye dryness is no exception. Dry eyes are a common medical condition when the tears in the eyes are not adequate, hence unable to provide sufficient lubrication. The reason for the inadequacy of the tears in your eyes may be for many reasons, such as but not limited to, your eyes are producing poor-quality tears or they are unable to provide sufficient tears required to keep the eyes lubricated and moisturized at all times.

Dry eyes, as a condition, can be mild and temporary or chronic. Your chances of experiencing dryness in the eyes is inevitable in certain circumstances such as riding a bike, getting into an air-conditioned environment, looking at the computer screen for prolonged periods of time and a more recent addition to the list is increase screen time on the smartphone, which has shown to affect young children as well.

According to an online poll, the results are staggering; it showed that close to 48% Americans of ages 18 years and older frequently experience symptoms of dry eyes, which is about 50% of the country’s population. Another poll known as the Gallup Poll conducted in 2012 showed that about 26 million people in the country are suffering from dry eyes, and in a decade’s time, this number is expected to surpass 29 million.

But not to worry, there are treatment options to make the person feel more comfortable, these treatments range from lifestyle changes to eye drops. Depending on the severity of the condition, treatment measures may need to be continued indefinitely to control this condition.

As the name of this condition goes, dry eyes are when there is a lack of consistent and adequate layers of tears on the eye, which are mandatory to keep the eyes comfortable, healthy and well. Tears are made up of a complex mixture of water, fatty, oily, and mucus-like components. All these combined together make up the tears, that keep the eyes surface moist, clear and wash away debris or dust, and it also helps to fight against infection of the eyes. The important causes can be summed up as

• Decreased tear production
• Increased tear evaporation
• Imbalance in tear composition

The most common symptoms for dry eyes are burning and stinging sensation in the eyes, red eyes, sore eyes, constant irritation, blurred vision, light sensitivity, itchy eyes, watery eyes when the body responds by producing more tears to counter the irritation of dry eyes, the sensation of a foreign body in the eye is when a person feels that something is in their eyes etc. If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, then you are one of the millions suffering from this medical condition.

Thanks to modern medicine, it can be treated and prevented. There is an array of effective treatment options which include daily use of artificial tears, minor lifestyle modifications like taking frequent breaks during computer use, etc. can significantly reduce dry eyes. For a more in-depth discussion, do consult a registered medical practitioner.