By Dr. Purva Patwari, Ophthalmology

Dry eyes are quite common, but only as a temporary medical condition. Unfortunately though, this problem is becoming more and more persistent, promising serious vision problems later. The lacrimal glands near the eyes secrete tears, which is composed of a complicated combination of fatty oils, mucus and water. Tears help to keep the surface of the eyes clear, smooth and free of infections. When these tears are not secreted, the eyes get dry and run the risk of getting infected.

Doctors usually attribute dry eye syndrome to three main causes and they are:

1. When the tear production decreases

Kerato conjunctivitis sicca is the name of the medical condition of decreased production of tears, which leads to drying of the eyes. The causes can be:

I. Deficiency of vitamin A, thyroid disorders, and diabetes are certain medical conditions which might be responsible for decreased tear production.

Ii. Exposure to radiation can lead to damage in the tear glands.

Iii. Advanced age can cause Kerato conjunctivitis sicca.

2. When the rate of evaporation of tears increases

The causes of this happening include:

I. Constant exposure to smoke or high wind

Ii. Lack of blinking

Iii. Exposure to screens and radiation for a long time

3. When there is an imbalance in the tear gland

The three components that tears are composed of (water, mucus, oil) are extremely important and if any one of them is in incorrect proportion, then the entire production is disrupted. This can be caused by the clogging of the oil-producing meibomian glands. Skin disorders like blepharitis are usually the medical conditions influencing such causes of lack of tears.