Dry eye syndrome is a very common condition which affects contact lens wearers and non wearers alike, with no age barriers.

Sufferers of dry eye syndrome, often complain of itchyness, irritated, soreness, redness, a feeling of grittiness, tired eyes, occasional blurry vision, sting and burning sensations or a feeling of a foreign object in the eye, these are all symptoms of dry eyes.

The eyes are naturally lubricated by tears which contain not only water but mucus and natural oils that are secreted by the glands in the eyelids.

Funny enough when the eyes are dry the body responds by producing more tears which often overflow and run down the face.  These excessive tears really do not help the dryness as they don't contain the mucus and natural oils, they are just water.  This is good to know if your eyes are streaming as you'd have never have guessed the problem is dryness ! 

Causes of Eye Dryness

1. Hot or air conditioned environments or starring at the computer for hours on end, can dry out the tear film.

2. Some medications such as the contraceptive pill and antihistamines

3. The natural aging process can create dryness, many people who have worn contact lenses for many years often give up when they reach their 40's as the eye dryness can make contact lens wear uncomfortable.

4. Smoking and caffeine dehydrate your system.

5. Eye liner worn on the inner lids can block the natural oil glands

It is important to alleviate this problem not only for your comfort but for the health of your eyes, as untreated scratching can occur on the front of the eye.

Treatment For Dry Eyes

Using eye drops or artificial tears can provide relief.  If you wear contact lenses ensure that you use one that is suitable for use with contact lenses.  Eye drops can be inserted simply when you feel you need them during the day.  There is no need to remove your contact lenses prior to insertion.

At night prior to going to bed, insert some lubricating eye drops so you can close your eyes and effectively bathe them in moisture while you sleep.

Warm compresses over the eyes for 10 minutes can help unblock the oil glands in the eyelids allowing the free flow of natural oils.

Drink plenty of water and limit the caffeine

If you are working in an air conditioned environment place a glass of water at your work station to help boost the humidity.

As a contact lens wearer it is advisable to see your Eye Care Professional so they can evaluate the problem and change your contact lenses to something that will be more suitable.  It is highly unlikely these days that they would suggest discontinuing use, some contact lenses such as the Dailies Total1 is actually being used to treat dry eye syndrome for contact lens wearers, the moisture content is so high. There are many options available to you.