Causes of Dry Eyes

Most people are fortunate through good health not to have to think about their eyes or how their tears are produced. Human tears contain much more than ?water.? They are made up of water, fatty oils, proteins, electrolytes, bacteria-fighting substances and growth factors that regulate various cell processes. These substances all lead to creating comfortable lubrication of the eyes. Most dry eye sufferers are affected by both low oil and high evaporation. Symptoms of dry eye are also common with certain autoimmune disorders, like diabetes, arthritis, lupus, and Sjogren?s syndrome. If the tear composition is disturbed, this lubrication is affected and dry eyes can result. The fact that most people are able to keep this composition perfectly balanced is a great testimony to the miracle of the human body.

The "tear film" is basically what allows your tears to stay on the eyeball and not drain away. The outer layer of the tear film is produced by small glands on the edge of your eyelids (meibomian glands), containing fatty oils called lipids. These smooth the tear surface and slow evaporation of the middle watery layer. When the oil layer is abnormal, the watery layer evaporates too quickly. Dry eye problems are common in people whose meibomian glands are clogged. Meibomian dysfunction is more common in people with inflammation along the edge of their eyelids (blepharitis), rosacea and other skin disorders. Water, the middle layer, is by far the thickest layer. It is mostly water with a little bit of salt. This layer, produced by the tear glands (lacrimal glands), cleanses your eyes and washes away foreign particles or irritants. A shallow water layer can predispose you to tear film instability. If your eye produces only small, inadequate amounts of water , the oil and mucus layers can touch and cause the mucus string discharge familiar to some people with dry eyes.

The inner layer of mucus allows tears to spread evenly over the surface of your eyes. Dry spots form easily in any part of the front surface of the eye (cornea) that has patchy loss of the mucus layer.

Dry eyes are more common in people over the age of 50. There also appears to be a gender bias as more women develop dry eyes than men. A partial list of causes include:

• Menapause
• Allergies
• Harmful Chemical Exposure (chemical burns)
• Diet
• Old Age
• Lupus
• Lasik Surgery
• Damage from inflammation or Radiation
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Sjogren?s Disease
• Auto-immune diseases
• Diabetes
• Imbalance of vitamins and minerals in the body
• Contact Lens usage
• Sitting in front of computer too long
• Environmental factors
• Thyroid issues
• Medications
• Smoking
• Vitamin A deficiency

The following is a partial list of what medications might cause dry eyes:

• Antihistamines and decongestants
• Sleeping pills
• Birth control pills
• Certain Antidepressants
• Accutane for treatment of Acne
• Pain Relievers, such as morphine
• Diuretics

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