Can dry eye syndrome cause blindness

Can dry eye syndrome cause blindness

Symptoms of dry eye syndrome can vary greatly from annoying to very, very painful, so it’s natural to worry about the impact the condition will have on your eyesight and eye health. While you should treat dry eye syndrome quickly to reduce its impact on your eye health, it’s highly unlikely that it will cause blindness without another condition affecting your sight.

Having dry eye syndrome may negatively impact your vision, however, so it’s important to see an eye specialist if you have symptoms that last for more than a couple of days or if symptoms develop without a reasonable explanation.

What is dry eye syndrome?

Dry eye syndrome is a term used for the lack of tear production, which would normally keep your eyes clean and moist. Without tears to lubricate your eyes and clear them of dust and bacteria, you may feel like there is constantly something in your eyes, leading to irritation, itching and red eyes.

Sometimes, dry eye syndrome is caused by a lack of quality tear production; tears comprise several different substances to clean your eyes of dirt as well as keep them lubricated, so blinking is more comfortable. However, if one of these components is missing, you can have very watery tears that drain quickly and leave your eyes dry. Your body’s response is then to produce more tears, leaving people with very watery, yet still insufficiently lubricated eyes.

Many factors can lead to the development of dry eyes, including:

• Ageing.
• Sex (women are more likely to develop dry eyes than men).
• Hormonal changes.
• Underlying health conditions, such as thyroid disorders.
• Medications like antihistamines and birth control.
• Irritation of the cornea from laser surgery or contact lens use.
• Prolonged screen time, especially at close range.

The cause will generally determine the severity of the symptoms; however, dry eye syndrome can be painful and lower quality of life standards regardless.

Can dry eyes go away naturally?

Dry eyes can go away naturally if the cause is an environmental factor. For people experiencing dry eyes after air travel, symptoms will normally go away within 24 hours. Similarly, if you’ve been cycling or walking in a crisp, cold wind, it’s natural to have overly watery, dry eyes until you’re back somewhere warm and more humid.

Even someone who has been ill and developed dry eyes due to dehydration or a vitamin A deficiency can quickly relieve their symptoms by rehydrating and eating a healthy, balanced diet.

For people with dry eye syndrome, the symptoms of dry eyes do not usually go away naturally, unless they have been brought on by hormonal changes that later subside. However, if you have prolonged symptoms of dry eyes, burning, itching or stinging sensations, you should seek treatment from an eye specialist as soon as possible, as untreated dry eyes can lead to eyesight and eye health problems.

Your eye specialist or GP can also help you find the cause of your dry eyes if you have other symptoms, so they can help treat the cause, such as a chalazion blocking your tear duct, or a medication you’re taking causing dry eyes as a side effect.

Are dry eyes serious?

Dry eye syndrome can be a serious condition if left untreated. We need to keep our eyes moist to be able to blink away dust and debris, as well as clean the surface of our eyes. Tears are usually drained by the tear duct, and the mucus clings to larger particles, which sit by the tear duct for us to wash away when washing our face or cleaning our eyes.

When we don’t have tears or good-quality tears to do that, debris is left in our eyes, scratching the surface when we blink, and increasing the risk of developing eye infections like conjunctivitis and blepharitis. Scratching the surface of our eyes can also cause our corneas to become desensitised, which may blur our vision. Similarly, overly watery eyes can also blur our vision and make it difficult to focus, making simple tasks more difficult to do, especially driving and other activities that could be potentially dangerous without clear vision.

Even if your dry eyes are affecting your ability to focus on a screen when working or relaxing in the evening, preventing you from reading or stopping you from going out as much because you’re not confident in your eyesight to drive in the dark, these issues can cause a significant mental impact, reducing your quality of life.

You should seek treatment from an eye specialist as soon as possible to prevent further irritation, eye health problems and any significant impact on your social or daily life.

Can dry eye syndrome cause blindness?

If left untreated for decades, dry eye syndrome can cause another eye health issue, which may eventually cause you to lose your vision altogether. However, this eventuality is very unlikely, so it’s safe to say you don’t need to worry about going blind if you have dry eye syndrome.

Dry eye syndrome is more common in older people as their bodies lower liquid production in general, producing fewer tears, less sweat and giving them drier skin. Loss of eyesight is also common with age, as the vitreous fibres slowly detach from the retina after around 50 years old, and other eye health problems such as macular degeneration also become more common. However, although dry eye syndrome and eyesight loss correlate with old age, dry eye syndrome doesn’t cause blindness.

Eye infections, on the other hand, can cause permanent eye damage and blindness if they go untreated. Conjunctivitis can go away on its own, but it should be treated with eye drops to remove bacteria and dirt particles to prevent the condition from worsening. As eye infections are much more common when a person has dry eye syndrome due to the eyes not being cleaned properly, it’s imperative to visit an eye specialist to treat dry eyes before eye infections become more common and affect vision.

What can cause blindness?

Blindness can happen suddenly after an accident or gradually due to a condition, and is more likely to happen in older age than in younger people. So there’s no need to worry about it, but simply keep as healthy as possible and see a doctor or specialist when you develop any concerning symptoms.

Three common causes of blindness are:

• Cataracts.
• Glaucoma.
• Macular degeneration.

Each of these conditions is more common in older age and may run in families, so you should have regular eye appointments as you get older to spot any of the symptoms and treat any condition before it worsens.

Cataracts affect the lens of the eye, causing it to become cloudy and blur vision. They can occur as a result of ageing, diabetes and sunlight exposure. Lenses can be replaced easily when cataracts are spotted before they develop; if left untreated, cataracts can lead to blindness.

Glaucoma is caused by damage to the optic nerve, usually caused by increased pressure in the eye, leading to loss of peripheral vision and, eventually, blindness if not spotted early or left untreated.

Macular degeneration affects central vision, causing it to blur, and if untreated, leads to near-complete blindness in the central portion of people’s vision.

Dry eyes and each of these conditions are common in old age, and many people who experience dry eyes will also experience one of these conditions. However, there is no evidence that dry eye syndrome causes any of these eye conditions.

Can you cure dry eyes?

While you cannot cure dry eye syndrome, you can effectively treat the symptoms and the conditions that may be causing it.

The best treatment for dry eyes is eye drops known as artificial tears. They’re available for purchase without a prescription; however, it’s always beneficial to see an eye specialist before treating your dry eyes to make sure you buy the best eye drops for your symptoms. If your problem is a lack of overall tears, a lack of high-quality tears or rapid draining of tears, you’ll require a different kind of eye drop for each.

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