Dry Eye Syndrome.

Dry eyes occur when there are insufficient tears to lubricate and nourish the
eyes. You may have dry eyes if you don’t produce enough tears or if you produce poor-quality
tears. And it may seem odd, but dry eye syndrome can cause watery eyes, which
are usually poor quality tears.

Tears are necessary for good eye health. People with dry eyes may have
irritated, gritty, scratchy or burning eyes, a feeling of something in their
eyes, excess watering, and/or blurred vision. Without treatment, dry eyes may
damage the front surface of the eyes and impair vision.

So, what causes dry eyes? Dry eye syndrome has several causes, it can be part
of the natural aging process (better known as a French disease, G.D. birthdays)
or it may be a side effect of many medications, it can come from living in a
dry, dusty, or windy environment. If your home or office has air conditioning
or a dry heating system that too can dry out your eyes. It can also be caused
by insufficient blinking when you’re working on your computer. Long term
contact lens wear is also a common cause of dry eyes.

There are a few steps you can take to relieve dry eyes on your own:

 – remember to
blink often when working on a computer.

 – if you can,
increase the humidity at home and/or work.

 – drink plenty of
water

 – take fish oil,
or nutritional supplements containing

   essential fatty acids

 – wear sunglasses

 – use artificial
tears

If this doesn’t do the
trick, then your eye care professional may prescribe antibiotics, if the
underlying problem is inflammation. Or they may prescribe Restasis, to
control corneal inflammation.

Remember, dry eye syndrome is an ongoing condition that may not be completely
curable, but the dryness, scratchiness and burning can be controlled.