Does Dry Eye Lead to Blindness?

Dry eyes is a fairly common condition that affects over 4.8 million people around the world. More women than men have dry eyes. If you or a loved one suffers from dry eyes, get professional help from your eye doctor in Weston, FL. At Rouse Family Eye Care, we help people in around Weston to cope with dry eyes.

What Causes Dry Eyes?

Dry eyes can be caused by several reasons. Depending upon why you have dry eyes, the treatment will vary. However, the dangers of dry eyes are the same no matter what the cause. Left untreated, dry eyes can lead to blindness. Following are some of the common reasons for dry eyes:

Prescription Medication

Some prescription medication has symptoms that may include dry eyes. If your medication is causing you to have dry eyes when you didn’t previously, you need to contact your prescribing doctor and let them know. There may be a substitute medication you can take that doesn’t make you have dry eyes.

Environmental Factors

If your work means being in arid environments, you may get dry eyes. This can happen indoors in air conditioning or outdoors in dry, arid climates. If it’s indoors, you can alleviate the problem simply by using a humidifier. If it’s outdoors, you may want to wear goggles or try to switch to a job where you aren’t exposed to that environment.

Age

Sometimes the simple fact of getting older can lead to dry eyes. As you age, certain changes take place in the body that can affect how much moisture the eyes receive. Report this symptom to your eyecare professional in Weston so that you can receive the proper treatment or eye drops for your dry eyes. Remember, dry eyes can lead to blindness, so you shouldn’t ignore this condition.

Irregular Tear Ducts

Your tear ducts are one part of a system that keeps your eyes properly moistened. Some people do not produce sufficient tears or the right substance to keep eyes lubricated. Sometimes surgery can correct this issue, but not always. Talk to your eyecare professional to learn more.

The one thing you never want to do if you have dry eyes is ignore it. Dry eyes are more than uncomfortable. It’s a serious condition that can cause blindness. Work with Rouse Family Eye Care in Weston to treat your dry eyes.