Eye Health 101: How a Dry Eye Impacts Your Vision

Eye Diseases

One out of five individuals suffers from dry eyes. Dry eyes can have an adverse effect on both near and farsightedness, and are known to be caused by either insufficient tear production or excessive tear loss owing to evaporation. With it, there’s a possibility that your vision will be impaired. If left untreated, dry eyes can also cause pain and infection.

There is a wide range of effectiveness among dry eye treatments. It is probable that several trials will be required before a suitable medicine is discovered. Medications available without a prescription are frequently adequate for treating less serious ailments. On the other hand, suffering from an irritating dry eye may necessitate medical or surgical therapy in extremely uncommon circumstances.

Read on to discover more about dry eyes and how they could negatively affect your vision.

Dry Eyes: The 3 Eye Diseases

  • Aqueous Deficiency

When there is a scarcity of water, the lacrimal glands produce less. It is responsible for 10% of all eye dryness. Sjogren's syndrome may or may not be related to a lack of aqueous fluid.

  • Blepharitis

Blepharitis is caused and exacerbated by a malfunction of the glands that generate meibomian oil. Blepharitis is occasionally associated with dry eye disease because a lack of tears may make it more difficult to fight infections.

Evaporative Dry Eye

Evaporative dry eye is produced by a tear film that lacks an adequate lipid layer. The majority of dry eye cases are caused by meibomian gland dysfunction.

The Factors That Contribute to Dry Eye Syndrome

Dry eyes can be due to age, gender, diet, the usage of contact lenses, being in cold and dry weather, screen time, medications, and other health issues. 

Females are two times more likely than males to suffer from dry eye disease. As we get older, our body has to work harder to produce tears. At the same time, our device-reliant lifestyle, being in changing weather, and consuming a diet deficient in vitamin A and omega-3 fatty acids may affect our eyes as well.

Moreover, dry eyes can be caused by a variety of illnesses, including diabetes, thyroid abnormalities, and autoimmune diseases such as lupus or Sjogren syndrome. Some allergy medications may even cause dry eyes; as such, talk to your doctor regarding the drugs you need to consume.

Dry Eyes and Poor Vision

Now that we know what causes dry eye disease, let's look at how it affects one's ability to see well. Dry eyes also make it difficult to perform daily tasks, such as reading and working. If not addressed, dry eye sickness can have both short-term and long-term effects on eye health.

  • Cornea Damage and Blindness

Extreme dry eye, due to its effect on the cornea, can damage the tissue of the cornea, resulting in permanent vision loss or even blindness.

If you don't treat your dry eyes, you could get inflammation, corneal abrasion, corneal ulcers, and even loss of vision.

  • High-Risk Infections

Tears act as a barrier against infections that could harm your eyes. When there aren't enough tears generated, eye infections are more prevalent.

  • Light Sensitivity

Dry eye illness affects the cornea, the most superficial layer of the eye. If this protective layer is not moistened by tears, light can cause acute agony.

Thankfully, it’s possible to keep your eyes from drying out, which could harm your vision. As such, blink a little more, peel your eyes away from the screen, and adjust lighting whenever possible.

Conclusion

Eye health is a part of your well-being, too. As such, don’t disregard your vision, and keep your eyes clean and healthy at all times. If you still have dry eyes after making adjustments, talk to your eye doctor about the in-office and at-home treatment options that are available to you.

Do you need a dry eye treatment at home? Dry Eye Mask is here to provide you with accessible solutions to preventing and treating dry eye syndrome for you and your loved ones.