What is Dry Eye Syndrome and What are its Different Causes?

Dry eye syndrome is very common eye syndrome found very commonly these days in people. Dry eye syndrome is a diseased condition of eyes in which eyes either do not produce enough tears or the quality of tears produced by eyes is of not right quality which can keep eyes healthy and moist. But do not confuse or misunderstand tears of eyes mentioned above in this article with the tears you flow when you weep. No here we are not talking about tears which you flow when you weep. No, here we are not talking about tears which you flow when you weep or cry. Here we are talking about that fluid which you see found floating in you eyes. You have always noticed your eyes have some fluid over them. Even when you put your fingers in your eyes, then you found that there is some fluid on finger which you have put into eyes. This fluid is known as tear film which is found in front of cornea of eye which keeps eyes healthy and moist. 

This tear film consists of three layers and those are lipid layer, watery layer and mucus layer. Tear film of normal eye contains these all three layers and protects the eye from dust and other irritating substances and factors. It also lubricates the eye and nourishes its tissue. It not only keeps eye surface clear optically but also protects eyes from any kind of infection, that is, this tear film also has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties along with keeping eye surface smooth, moist and optically clear and free from any kind of dust by removing it out. Eyes spread this tear film all over eye surface by blinking eye lids every six seconds which spread it equally over surface of eye and keeps eyes moist. This was about, what composition tear film is formed of in normal eye and what functions it performs in normal eye.

But we were here discussing about dry eye syndrome. What this tear film has to do with dry eye syndrome? As I have already mentioned above in this article that in dry eye syndrome this tear film is not get produced in enough quantity by lachrymal glands which secrete this tear film or the quality of tear film secreted by lachrymal glands of eyes is not good enough. That means its composition gets disrupted, which means tear film does not contain all the three layers in equal proportions in dry eye syndrome. In dry eye syndrome, this tear film is mostly watery and does not contain all three layers in equal proportions. Watery layer is found in excess in dry eye syndrome due to which it gets easily evaporated from eyes due to which eye tissue does not get properly moistened, nourished, lubricated and is more prone to infection as the other two layers which have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties are deficient here.

Causes-

Now, what are the causes due to which dry eye syndrome occurs?  

The causes which cause dry eye syndrome and also make you prone to dry eye syndrome and also increases your chancing of suffering from dry eye syndrome are:-

1.      Air pollution-
Which contains smoke from vehicles, harmful gases emitted by factories which contains irritating chemicals and dust which brings along with dust, the harmful bacteria and micro-organisms which increases your chances of suffering from infection and harmful chemicals and gases in polluted air disrupts the composition of tear film of eye and hence causes dry eye syndrome.

2.      Smoking cigarettes-
Smoking cigarettes disrupts the composition of tear film and hence causes dry eye syndrome.

3.      Excessive use of computers, mobiles, television, heaters and hair dryers which emit a good amount of heat, quickly evaporates the watery layer of tear film from eyes and hence disrupts the composition of tear film and hence causes dry eye syndrome.

4.      Excessive use of air conditioners-
Especially when direct blowing of air is there in eyes make your eyes dry by rapidly evaporating watery layer of tear film from eyes and hence causes dry eye syndrome by disrupting composition of tear film of eyes.

5.      Excessive use of various cosmetics which are totally chemical based weaken immune system of eyes and make your eyes more prone to not only dry eye syndrome but also to various infections.

6.      Hormonal changes in menopause in women causes changes in quality of tear film production and hence causes dry eye syndrome.

7.      Old age-
Dry eye syndrome is more prevalent among older individuals due to changes in quality and quantity of production of tear film which occurs with increasing age.

8.      Auto-immune diseases-
Which decrease tear film secretion by lachrymal glands of eyes and causes dry eye syndrome.

9.      Diabetes and herpes zoster also decrease tear film secretion by lachrymal glands and hence causes dry eye syndrome.

10.  And some allopathic medicines like diuretics, medicines given for high blood pressure like beta blockers, anti-allergic medicines given for allergies, pain killers cause dry eye syndrome by producing its side effects on eyes. These allopathic medicines are known for their side effects which they produce over eyes.

So this was all about, what is dry eye syndrome and what are its different causes, but do you know about What are the different symptoms of Dry Eye Syndrome?

Symptoms of dry eye syndrome are updated in next article “What are different symptoms of Dry Eye Syndrome?”