Dry Eye & Watery Eye
Dry Eye (also known as dry eye syndrome or dry eye disease) is a condition caused when your eyes do not make enough tears, or the tears produced are of a poor quality.
The surface of your eye is covered by a thin layer of liquid known as the tear film (tears). Your tears have several important functions: they lubricate your eyes, keeping them clean and free of dust, they protect your eyes against infection, and they aid sight by helping to stabilise your vision. Tears are produced and controlled by a number of systems, and if any part of these systems break down, it can result in a reduced quality or quantity of tears. Watery Eyes can be due to an unstable tear film causing your tears to pool along your lower eye lid rather than coat your eyes. The lower eye lid cannot support such a volume of tears and so your tears spill over causing a watery eye. If you have a blocked tear drain (eye lid punctum or tear duct) your tears will also pool along your lower eye lid and spill over.
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We're often asked if Eye-Light IPL & LLLT actually works. From our experience most definitely yes! We asked one of our patients Glenys what she thought, you can watch or listen to her reply here:
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When you have dry or watery eyes, it is usual to notice some of the following:
Dry eye can be caused by any of the following:
Dry or Watery Eyes can have a significant impact on your quality of life, affecting daily activities such as driving or reading.
Dry Eye is a chronic (long-term) condition, however, there are treatment options available to control your symptoms. Below you will find advice on treatment and lifestyle options that may be able to help with your condition.
Medication:
Some medications can cause dry eye as a side effect. While you should never stop taking your medication without speaking to your healthcare professional (GP or Pharmacist), you should advise them if you are experiencing any such side effects. They may be able to change your medication or offer suggestions that could reduce these side effects.
Environment:
Your tears are affected by the environment in which you live, so you can make changes which can have a very positive impact on your tears and therefore your dry eye, for example:
- Your eyes feel irritated and dry
- You may experience blurred vision
- You may feel that there is something in your eye
- You may feel burning and itching in your eyes
- Your eyes may start to water or run (this may seem strange as you have "DRY eye", but watery eyes are actually a common symptom of dry eyes or blocked tear ducts.
Dry eye can be caused by any of the following:
- Being in a hot, air conditioned or windy environment
- Some long-term conditions or diseases, ie Sjögrens Syndrome
- Side effects of some medications, e.g. HRT, preservatives in eye drops or antihistamines
- Hormonal changes (Menopasue)
- Age – the risk of dry eye syndrome increases significantly for people over the age of 65
Dry or Watery Eyes can have a significant impact on your quality of life, affecting daily activities such as driving or reading.
Dry Eye is a chronic (long-term) condition, however, there are treatment options available to control your symptoms. Below you will find advice on treatment and lifestyle options that may be able to help with your condition.
Medication:
Some medications can cause dry eye as a side effect. While you should never stop taking your medication without speaking to your healthcare professional (GP or Pharmacist), you should advise them if you are experiencing any such side effects. They may be able to change your medication or offer suggestions that could reduce these side effects.
Environment:
Your tears are affected by the environment in which you live, so you can make changes which can have a very positive impact on your tears and therefore your dry eye, for example:
- Avoiding prolonged periods in front of the TV and/or computer
- Adjusting the brightness of your TV and/or computer
- Wearing specialised eyewear or wear sunglasses on bright and windy days
- Cleaning your eyelids daily – in the same way you brush your teeth daily
- Making sure your contact lenses are comfortable while you are wearing them (i.e. well lubricated)
- Improving your diet, at least five portions of fresh frust / veg per day, oily fish two or three time per week (mackerel / salmon)
- Keeping your eyes well protected from smoke or smoky environments
Useful Information:
Treatment:
Treatment is best started after a thorough assessment and diagnosis of your eyes and eye lids. \
In general options include:
What would happen without treatment:
It is important to treat this condition. Without treatment your pain and discomfort will not disappear, and your quality of life will not improve; it may also result in complications such as scarring of your cornea (the transparent layer at the front of the eye), which can lead to more serious complications. It is important to continue the treatment because if you do stop the symptoms will return and possibly worsen.
There are many treatment options available. To enable us to offer you the correct advice we recommend you book to attend our specialist Dry & Watery Eye Clinic, click here for details. Alternatively ask your Pharmacist for NHS (free) advice.
- Don’t share your eye drops with anyone else
- Patients using contact lenses should use preservative free lubricants
- Many basic eye lubricants are available from your GP on prescription
- Many eye drops and gels should be thrown away after 28 days once opened
- Some newer eye drops can be kept for up to six months from first opening – please check when your eye drops should be discarded
- Dry eye is often associated with Blepharitis. Eyelid hygiene will help to relieve this condition - click here for more information
- Most eye drops will have a patient information leaflet inside the box. There is usually of a lot of information in here including details on how to use the product.
- If you have blocked tear ducts we offer tear duct wash out - please call for details.
Treatment:
Treatment is best started after a thorough assessment and diagnosis of your eyes and eye lids. \
In general options include:
- Artificial Tears (Dry Eye drops)
- Improving your tear film quality & stability (Specialist Dry Eye Clinic - click here for more information)
- Reducing Tear Drainage (temporary or permenant punctum plugs - click here for more information)
- Eye-Light IPL & LLLT (effective treatment for relief of dry eye symptoms - click here for more information)
What would happen without treatment:
It is important to treat this condition. Without treatment your pain and discomfort will not disappear, and your quality of life will not improve; it may also result in complications such as scarring of your cornea (the transparent layer at the front of the eye), which can lead to more serious complications. It is important to continue the treatment because if you do stop the symptoms will return and possibly worsen.
There are many treatment options available. To enable us to offer you the correct advice we recommend you book to attend our specialist Dry & Watery Eye Clinic, click here for details. Alternatively ask your Pharmacist for NHS (free) advice.