Statistically, around 55% of South Africans are living with some form of dry eye. Far from merely being a simple inconvenience, dry eye is an ocular surface disease that can have various detrimental effects on a patient's vision and quality of life.
Many people suffering with dry eye will experience blurry, unstable vision throughout the day. The tear film is a complex combination of layers that, when operating effectively, provide a smooth and regular ocular surface that is necessary for clear vision. When conditions, such as dry eye, cause a breakdown in the stability of the tear layer, visual quality will suffer. Poor vision caused by dry eye is usually temporarily restored after blinking before becoming blurry again.
Dry eyes can also result in chronic discomfort, leaving eyes feeling gritty and burny. Redness and tearing can also result from the discomfort caused by dry eye. Many people then become self aware due to the redness of their eyes or due to excessive tears running down their cheeks. The cornea is a highly sensitive structure that requires the constant lubrication provided by a healthy tear film. When dry eye causes a decline in this lubrication, irritation, tearing and redness will result. The irritation caused by dry eye might also negatively affect success with contact lens wear as contact lenses can sometimes make the irritation worse.
A final point when considering the effects of living with dry eye is the effect that it could have on the health of the eye. Dry eyes can increase the risk of various eye conditions such as corneal infections and could even increase the risk of a corneal ulcer. Tears protect our eyes against infection and protect the ocular surface against damage and abrasion. They also play a crucial part in wound healing. A break down in the tear film therefore greatly affects your eyes ability to protect and heal itself.
As stated above, living with chronic dry eye can have a profound affect on a patients quality of life and even lead to more serious conditions. The good news is that dry eye can be treated. While simply using lubricating eye drops will certainly offer relief to many suffering from this condition, the most effective treatment of dry eyes will involve accurately diagnosing the specific cause of the condition and then formulating a treatment plan specifically catered to the patient's needs. At Spectacle Warehouse, our dry eye clinics aim to provide effective treatment and ongoing support to those suffering from this detrimental but treatable condition.