Posted by: Albany Cornea | Center For Eye Care Excellence in Dry Eyes
That dry, gritty feeling in your eyes might seem like a minor inconvenience, but dry eye is a chronic condition that tends to worsen without treatment. Knowing the risks and your options can make all the difference for your long-term eye health.
Keep reading to learn more about whether dry eye will worsen over time without treatment!
What is Dry Eye?
Dry eye is a condition in which your eyes make low-quality tears that evaporate rapidly or inadequate tears to keep your eyes moisturized. Common causes of dry eye include Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), blepharitis, contact lens wear, prolonged screen time, aging, and hormonal changes.
Environmental factors, like dry or windy climates, certain medications such as some antidepressants, decongestants, and antihistamines, and medical conditions, including some autoimmune diseases, endocrine conditions, and neurological disorders, can also cause dry eye.
What are the Symptoms of Dry Eye?
You may experience the following symptoms when you have dry eye:
- Blurred or double vision
- Burning or stinging sensation
- Light sensitivity
- Gritty or scratchy feeling
- Eye redness
- Difficulty wearing contact lenses
- Eye fatigue
- Strings of mucus around and in the eyes
- Watery eyes (the eyes’ response to dryness and irritation)
Can Dry Eye Get Worse Over Time Without Treatment?
Dry eye often worsens progressively if not treated. You may experience persistent symptoms that interfere with daily activities like working on a computer, reading, and driving.
Over time, untreated dry eye can lead to more severe symptoms and long-term complications, including:
Eye Infections
Tears play an essential role in safeguarding your eye surface from infection. They wash away germs, dirt, and debris.
Without sufficient tears, your eyes are exposed to these substances, making you more prone to eye infections such as conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis is the inflammation of the conjunctiva, the clear membrane that covers the inside of your eyelids and the white of your eye.
Some of the symptoms are light sensitivity, redness, and a sandy feeling, which can further exacerbate your dry eye symptoms.
Difficult Wearing Contact Lenses
When your eyes don’t make sufficient, good-quality tears due to dry eye, your contacts may become overly dry, causing discomfort, redness, and a gritty sensation.
Without adequate moisture, your contact lenses can adhere to your eyeball, making them hard to remove. Since contacts require moisture, worsening dry eye can prevent you from wearing standard contacts.
Trouble Reading or Driving
If left unaddressed, the double or blurred vision caused by dry eye may worsen, making it hard or impossible to read, drive, and work.
Headaches
Prolonged dry eye has been linked to chronic headaches, which can affect your day-to-day. Frequent headaches can take a big toll on your work or school performance.
You may find it challenging to enjoy your favorite activities or live up to your commitments.
Corneal Scarring
Severe dry eye can damage your cornea. Corneal scarring occurs when the normally clear cornea is repeatedly damaged and heals with irregular or opaque tissue.
The scarring impairs vision by distorting or blocking light entering your eye.
Keratitis
Keratitis is the inflammation of the cornea, the transparent layer at the front of your eye. Symptoms include swollen eyelids, eye irritation, blurry vision, and eye pain.
Keratitis can range from mild to severe and may cause vision loss if left untreated.
Corneal Ulcer
Your cornea relies on good-quality tears to remain moist and healthy. When your eyes consistently lack sufficient moisture, your cornea is exposed to the environment.
As a result, dust and debris may scratch your cornea, leading to corneal ulcers or open sores on your cornea. Corneal ulcers can cause irreversible vision loss without treatment.
Think You Might Have Dry Eye?
How is Dry Eye Treated?
Uncontrolled dry eye can cause lasting complications. The good news is that it can be successfully managed with the right treatment.
Dry eye treatment not only provides clear, healthy, and more comfortable vision but also prevents serious complications. There are various treatment options.
Depending on the cause and severity of your dry eye, your eye doctor may provide the following treatment options.
Artificial Tears: Artificial tears are eye drops used to add moisture and lubricate your eyes, providing relief from dry eye symptoms.
Restasis: Restasis eye drops work by reducing inflammation in your eyes, encouraging natural tear production. It’s especially suitable if your dry eye symptoms persist despite using artificial tears.
Punctal Plugs: Punctal plugs are tiny silicone plugs that are placed in your eye’s tear ducts, known as puncta. By sealing off your tear ducts, punctal plugs prevent tears from flowing out. This keeps your eye’s surface moist and comfortable, alleviating dry eye symptoms.
What is Intense Pulsed Therapy (IPL)?
IPL therapy is a non-invasive, in-office treatment that effectively addresses the root cause of dry eye, specifically Meibomian gland dysfunction. The Meibomian glands secrete the oily layer of your tear film that prevents your tears from evaporating too quickly.
If these glands are clogged, oil can’t flow freely. As a result, your tears evaporate too fast, leading to dry eye.
IPL involves applying controlled light pulses to the skin around your eyes to minimize inflammation and reduce bacterial overgrowth along your eyelids. The pulses also unblock the Meibomian glands, melt thickened oils, improve gland function, and restore the natural flow of oil to your tears, promoting better tear quality.
This stops your tears from evaporating rapidly, alleviating dry eye.
Get Lasting Relief from Dry Eye
Seeking prompt dry eye treatment at the Center for Eye Care Excellence can help you get relief sooner and prevent the complications of untreated dry eye. Our expert ophthalmologists can accurately determine the underlying cause of your dry eye and tailor your treatment plan for lasting relief.
Are you experiencing dry eye symptoms? Schedule your appointment at Center for Eye Care Excellence in Slingerlands, NY, today to find the relief you need and deserve.