Introduction

Dry eye syndrome, or ocular surface disease, is a common condition that occurs when the eyes don't make enough tears, or the tears evaporate too quickly or do not spread evenly across the front of the eye.

This leads to the eyes drying out and becoming red, swollen and irritated.

Dry eye syndrome is also known as keratoconjunctivitis sicca, or simply "dry eyes".

Symptoms

The symptoms of dry eye syndrome are mild for most people, although more severe cases can be painful and lead to complications.
Symptoms usually affect both eyes and often include:

• feelings of dryness, grittiness or soreness that get worse throughout the day
• burning and red eyes
• temporarily blurred vision, which usually improves when you blink

 Some people may also have episodes of watering eyes, which can occur if the eye tries to relieve the irritation by producing more tears.

What Can You do About It?

• Avoid using make-up and keep your eyelids clean
• Be aware of your environment. For instance, central heating on high can agravate the symptoms, as can draughty places and air conditioning.
• Use eye drops (such as those from Hycosan, Systane or Eyebag) to lubricate - there are a number of different types available and we can advise you of the best ones for your own needs.