By Christine Haran
As the warm humid air of summer lifts and the heat begins to creak on in homes and offices, some people will find that their eyes feel like a sheet of sandpaper. Dry eye syndrome, which can cause dryness, irritation and a gritty sensation, can be exacerbated by dry indoor heating. But there are other tear-stealers, such as wind and soft contact lenses.
This common but frequently undiagnosed syndrome occurs when not enough tears are being produced or when tears are evaporating too quickly. While dry eye can affect anyone, a recent study published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology found that nearly 3.2 million American women over the age of 50 suffer from dry eye syndrome, leading some experts to think it may also be related to hormones. When untreated, dry eye can interfere with daily activities such as driving and reading, and can sometimes impair vision.
Below, Dr. Reza Dana, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and a researcher at the Schepens Eye Research Institute and Cornea Service at the Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary, discusses how to ease the symptoms of dry eye syndrome.
What is dry eye syndrome?
"Dry eye syndrome" is a name that encapsulates a number of different conditions, all of which share eye dryness. It's like "headache"; there are many different types of headaches and causes of a headache, but they all share the same general symptoms of pain in and around the head region.
Copyright 2009 NBC Health
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