Can Dry Eye Cause Blindness?

Dry eye disease is one of the most common eye conditions, experienced by people in the UK.. In case you suffer from dry eye syndrome, you’re not alone, and several treatments are available to help. You may experience a series of common dry eye symptoms, such as itchiness, soreness and discomfort. Or in more severe cases, symptoms like changes to your eyelids, light sensitivity, distorted and blurry vision.

Typically, dry eye should not be of a great concern and can be dealt with fairly easily, however in some cases, if left untreated dry eye can result in serious complications. This article will explore how and when dry eye can cause blindness and what options and treatments are available to patients.

What Is Dry Eye?

Dry eye is a condition where the tears that help to lubricate our eyes are either not produced in the right quantity, not enough, or tears are of a poor quality and are not sufficient enough to keep our eyes healthy. Overtime, dry eyes can lead to various serious issues if left untreated. The most common problems you may face are discomfort, pain, blurred vision and possible permanent damage of the surface of the eye. Many factors can lead to dry eyes and determining the reason may be challenging. Often, the symptoms are caused by environmental, medical or lifestyle factors.

Dry Eye Causes

Dry eye is a multifactorial disease and can be caused by various circumstances that could disrupt the eye’s natural tear film. The tear film consists of three layers: mucus, water and oil. If an issue occurs with one of these layers, then we get disbalance in tear film, resulting in poor tear quality or its production. Some of the key causes include:

• Meibomian Gland Dysfunction/Blepharitis: MGD and Blepharitis are commonly associated with dry eye disease, as they refer to clogging of the oil glands and causing inflammation resulting in dry eye symptoms.
• Age and/or Sex: People over 50 are more likely to develop dry eye symptoms, together with women, who have experienced hormonal changes caused by pregnancy or a menopause.
• Medical conditions: Sjorgen syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, IBS, thyroid problems and vitamin A deficiency may contribute to dry eyes.
• Medication side effects: Some anti-depressants, antihistamines, high blood pressure medications and others can result in dry eyes.
• Screen use: Excessive use of screens, particularly without a break, can lead to reduced blinking, contributing to dry eyes.
• Contact lens use: Poor hygiene and improper use of contact lenses, such as overusing or falling asleep wearing them, may be a cause of dry eyes.
  Lifestyle and Environment: using cosmetic products with toxic ingredients and living in the extreme dry or cold climate can also affect the health of the eye, causing dry eye symptoms.

If there is an underlying cause for your dry eyes, it is crucial to be diagnosed by a doctor or ophthalmologist to ensure that the issue is managed and resolved effectively.

Can Dry Eye Cause Blindness?

In most cases, dry eye is mild and will not lead to permanent vision impairment. The outlook for dry eyes is further improved if the patient seeks medical help and treatment sooner rather than later. Although very uncommon, severe dry eye can potentially cause blindness because the dry eye can cause damage to the cornea. If the cornea is damaged, scarring could cause partial or complete vision impairment that can be permanent in some cases.

Long-Term Effects Of Dry Eye

Long-term dry eye can result in a range of issues, particularly when left untreated. As mentioned before, it can result in scratches and damage to the cornea. It can also make everyday tasks like driving, reading or using digital screens more challenging and even uncomfortable as dry eyes can cause blurry vision.

Your eyes are also at higher risk of infection when they are dry. This is because our tears contain proteins that help remove germs from the surface of our eyes, and if our tears are not doing their job correctly, then infection becomes more likely.

Permanent Damage From Dry Eye

Permanent damage from dry eye can result in the form of a scratch on the cornea. Corneal scratches are the most common result of any injuries to the eye, whether inflicted through a motion or caused by dry eye symptoms, and usually tend to heal naturally within 1-3 days. More serious damage can cause scarring on the cornea, which can result in permanent vision problems.

Dry Eye Symptoms

Most common dry eye symptoms are:

• Itchiness
• Gritty eyes
• Soreness
• Discomfort
• Redness
• Light sensitivity
• Blurred vision

Less common symptoms that you may experience, and you should consider seeking medical advice on as soon as possible, include:

• Severe pain
• Changes to the shape of the eyelid
• Changing vision
• Severe light sensitivity
• Persistent dry eyes

How Long Does Dry Eye Last?

The length of time that dry eye lasts can vary significantly, based on the cause. In some cases, dry eye can be a temporary condition caused by too much time spent looking at a screen or reading. Allergies and the weather may also cause short-term dry eye. If your dry eye lasts only a few hours, you may not need treatment, but if it recurs, it is best to talk to your doctor about being recommended eye drops to help in the future.

Dry eye becomes chronic when it lasts for days, weeks or months. If you have been experiencing chronic dry eyes, you must talk to a doctor who can help you manage the condition and identify possible underlying causes. Seeing a doctor can ensure that the dry eye doesn’t progress to a point where your vision could be temporarily or permanently impacted.

How To Get Rid Of Dry Eyes

Help is available for anyone experiencing symptoms, starting with a few simple home care options. If an external factor causes your dry eye, removing the trigger will often result in rapid relief within a few hours. Some of at-home treatments include:

• Keeping your eyelids clean daily
• Taking regular breaks from your computer or phone screen / 20-20-20 rule
• Avoid wearing contact lenses until your eyes feel better

Over-the-counter anti-allergy medications and eye drops can also be an excellent help. Your doctor or ophthalmologist may recommend various dry eye treatments if home remedies have not helped. These include antibiotic eye drops for dry eye caused by infection. Hot compresses may open up the blood vessels, unblock oil glands and improve eye hygiene.

Systemic treatments like the Lumenis Optima M22 IPL have a great benefit for people with dry eyes. This is a form of energy-based treatment that uses intense pulsed light (IPL) to break the cycle of dry eye caused by meibomian gland dysfunction and Blepharitis. It is proven to be a safe and, in most cases, highly effective treatment for dry eye.

Summary

In some extreme cases, dry eyes can result in blindness. Therefore, it is crucial to get the problem assessed as soon as possible so that the root cause can be determined and treatment recommended. Early and effective treatment is the best way to protect your eyes against possible vision impairment. If you’re concerned about your dry eyes, we’re here to help. Get in touch today for a consultation with our expert ophthalmologist, Samer Hamada.