What is Dry Eye?

Tears help the eyes to stay moist, healthy, and comfortable. Dry eye is a condition that affects the quantity or quality of the tears, causing the eyes to feel dry and irritated because of insufficient lubrication.

Tears are made up of proteins, electrolytes, and vitamins that are critical to maintain the health of the eye surface. They also help protect the eye from bacteria and other types of infections.

Symptoms of Dry Eye

Dry eye symptoms may include any of the following:

  • Stinging or burning of the eye.
  • A sandy or gritty feeling, as if something is in the eye.
  • Episodes of excess tears (watery eyes) following very dry periods.
  • Stringy discharge from the eye.
  • Pain and redness of the eye.
  • Episodes of blurred vision.
  • Eye fatigue or heavy eyelids.
  • Decreased tolerance for reading, working on the computer, or any activity that requires sustained visual attention.

What Causes Dry Eye?

Dry eye can be a chronic condition or a side effect of other factors:

  • **Aging:** Tear production naturally decreases with age.
  • **Environment:** Living in a dry, hot climate, or long-term exposure to air conditioning or fans.
  • **Screen Use:** Infrequent blinking associated with staring at computer or video screens.
  • **Medications:** Can be a side effect of antihistamines, decongestants, antidepressants, and others.
  • **Medical Conditions:** Often associated with immune system disorders like Sjogren’s syndrome, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis.
  • **Eyelid Issues:** Inflammation of the glands in the eyelids, such as meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD).
  • **Other:** Long-term contact lens wear or previous refractive surgery like LASIK.

How is Dry Eye Treated?

While the condition is often chronic, the symptoms can be managed effectively. Treatment at our Bandra clinic is tailored to the cause and severity of your dry eye.

Lubricants (Artificial Tears)

This is the primary treatment. Lubricating eye drops, gels, and ointments provide relief and replace naturally produced tears. We often recommend preservative-free formulations, which are less toxic and can be used more frequently.

Immunomodulators

Medications like Cyclosporine, available as eye drops, help decrease inflammation on the corneal surface and improve your body's natural tear quality.

Punctal Plugs

These are tiny, sterile devices inserted into the tear drainage holes (puncta) in the inner corner of the eyelids. They act as a "stopper," keeping your natural tears on the eye surface for a longer time, which reduces symptoms.

Self-Care Tips

You can aid your treatment by wearing wrap-around sunglasses, avoiding direct drafts from fans/ACs, using a humidifier, and taking frequent breaks from computer screens (the "20-20-20" rule).

Advanced Dry Eye Therapy (IPL)

For persistent dry eye caused by Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD), we offer advanced **Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) therapy**.

This is a modern, light-based treatment that gently warms the eyelids to break up blockages in the glands, reduce inflammation, and restore healthy tear film quality. Ask our specialists if IPL is right for you.

Diagram showing a dry eye with insufficient lubrication Illustration of the human tear film layers Punctal plugs as a treatment option for dry eye Symptoms of dry eye, including stinging and burning
Top Q&A

Your Dry Eye Questions Answered

Dry Eye is a common condition where your eyes either don't produce enough tears, or the tears they produce are of poor quality and evaporate too quickly. This causes the eye surface to dry out, leading to irritation, stinging, and burning.

Symptoms include a stinging, burning, or gritty feeling, as if sand is in your eye. You may also experience redness, episodes of blurred vision, and surprisingly, moments of excessive watering (as your eye tries to compensate for the dryness).

The most common causes include aging, prolonged computer/screen use (due to infrequent blinking), dry environments (like A/C rooms), certain medications, and underlying medical conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. A very common cause is Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD), where the oil glands in the eyelids get clogged.

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) is an advanced, in-clinic treatment for dry eye caused by MGD. It uses gentle pulses of light to warm the eyelids, which helps unclog the oil glands, reduce inflammation, and restore the normal, healthy flow of oils into your tear film. This stabilizes the tear film and reduces evaporation.

Treatment depends on the cause. It often starts with lifestyle changes and lubricating eye drops (artificial tears). For more persistent cases, we may recommend prescription drops (like Cyclosporine), Punctal Plugs (to keep tears on the eye longer), or advanced in-clinic treatments like IPL therapy.