Healthcare Professionals

Refresh Your Knowledge on Dry Eyes

Causes of dry eyes

Staring at a computer screen^1,2

Central heating, air conditioning, sunny and windy conditions^1,2

Hormonal changes after the menopause²

Age-related dry eyes^1,2

Extended contact lens wear^2,3

Some medications e.g. antihistamines, diuretics, beta-blockers and the Pill^1,2

A common problem

Up to 30% of people experience dry eyes at some point¹

Symptoms

Eyes feel dry, irritated, itchy or burning²
Customers may say it feels like there is grit in their eyes²
Symptoms usually affect both eyes²

When to refer to the pharmacist

Pain in the eye or affected vision
Recent eye surgery or laser treatment
Women going through the menopause
An ongoing problem with dry eyes that hasn’t been relieved by OTC treatment
Customer has other conditions such as arthritis
If the customer is taking any other medication

The root cause of dry eyes

In up to 80% of cases, there is a deficiency in the outer layer of the tear film – the sensitive lipid layer^4,5

1. The Normal Eye

A normal functioning tear film is essential for avoiding dry eye signs and symptoms.⁶

The tear film consists of three layers:⁷

An outer lipid layer
An aqueous layer
A mucous layer

The intact lipid layer is thought to stabilise the tear film and prevent excess evaporation of moisture from the aqueous layer.⁸

2. The Dry Eye

Factors such as prolonged visual activity (e.g. staring at a computer screen) and artificially heated and cooled environments can cause break-up of the lipid layer, causing tiny gaps which increase evaporation from the aqueous layer.⁸ Loss of moisture is one cause of dry, irritated eyes.

NEXT: How to Treat Optrex Dry Eyes »

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