Dry Eye Symptoms and Causes

If you have a hard time wearing contact lenses, or if your eyes are stinging and red, you might be the victim of dry eye.

Dry eyes are one of the most common complaints patients bring to their eye doctors. The nonprofit group - The National Women's Health Resource Center (NWHRC), estimates that 20.7 million Americans are affected by dry eye syndrome, and that symptoms of dry eyes account for one-fourth of all eye doctor office visits. Dry eyes can be the result of many situations from hormonal shifts to the surrounding environment.

"It's a common problem in people of all ages," says Dr. Andrew Caster, medical director of the Caster Eye Center in Beverly Hills, Calif. "It becomes more of a problem as we get older, and even more so among post-menopausal women."

For most of us, dry eye is a simple annoyance in our daily routine. However if  left untreated, dry eye syndrome can be debilitating condition. Symptoms include blurred vision, dryness, itching, irritation, and for some, the feeling of a foreign substance in the eye. Some patients report a  sensation of  sand, grittiness, while complain of their eyes feeling tired, achy or sore. People suffering from dry eye symptoms may experience difficultly, reading, driving at night, using contact lenses or working at the computer.

According to Dr. Michael Ehrenhaus, director of cornea and external disease and refractive surgery at Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn, N.Y., dry eye is often misdiagnosed leading to a delay in receiving proper treatment.

Ehrenhaus goes on to state that dry eye syndrome frequently results in a decreased ability to produce ones own tears, or a problem with the actual tears themselves. The body produces tears to keep the eyes moist. Environmental conditions such as dryer air, living in a higher altitude, air conditioning, indoor heating, hormonal changes, aging, menopause,  vitamin deficiencies, thyroid problems, and diabetes, can all contribute to dry eyes.

According to NWHRC of 100 U.S. cities that are "Dry Eye Hot Spots." The number one hot spot on the list is Las Vegas, followed by four cities in Texas. The cities were ranked based on data archived by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration's National Climatic Data Center and the Environmental Protection Agency. To rank the cities, researchers looked at factors known to aggravate dry eye symptoms: humidity, wind, altitude, pollutants and ocular allergens on a national, state and municipal level.

Eye Symptoms May Separate Rosacea And Lupus

While the facial symptoms of rosacea and lupus may sometimes be confused due to their similarities, the presence of eye symptoms may point definitely to rosacea, as it almost never occurs in lupus flares."The presence of ocular involvement can be very helpful in differentiating active lupus from active rosacea," said Dr. Guy Webster, associate professor of dermatology at Jefferson Medical College.

The two disorders may have a similar appearance. Like rosacea, lupus sufferers often have redness across the central portion of the face, often in a butterfly pattern. Although both rashes can be smooth in texture, especially in early rosacea, the presence of bumps and pimples, which rarely occur in a lupus flare, may help differentiate the two diseases.

As many as 50 percent of rosacea patients may also display ocular symptoms which never occur with lupus. Eyes affected by rosacea often appear to be watery or bloodshot. Patients may feel a gritty or foreign-body sensation in the eye, or have a dry, burning or stinging sensation. Inflammation of the eye or eyelid, called blepharitis, is also very common in rosacea, Dr. Webster said.

Controlling Pink Eye

Conjunctivitis, more commonly known as pinkeye, is a contagious infection that often strikes children but can also affect adults. Pinkeye occurs when the tissue lining the eyelid becomes infected, and causes redness and itching of the eye.

Pinkeye is most often caused by a virus, but may also be caused by bacteria, fungi, or in rare cases, a parasite.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine says antibiotics, typically eye drops, will only treat pinkeye caused by bacteria. Viral pinkeye will usually heal on its own without treatment, the NLM says.

Frequent hand washing is recommended to prevent the spread of pinkeye. You should also avoid touching your eyes or sharing eye cosmetics or towels with another person. Frequent washing of pillow cases, and regular removal and disinfection of contact lenses may also prevent infections from spreading or recurring. Wash hands thoroughly and use a clean damp cloth to wipe away any drainage from the eyes.