Everyone experiences the sensation of dry eyes from time to time. If you’ve ever spent hours staring at your laptop or endured a particularly long flight, you’ve probably felt some eye discomfort that resolved itself quickly. But when that discomfort starts interfering with daily life, you may be suffering from dry eye disease.
It’s estimated that over six million Canadian adults may have dry eye disease1. Although the condition is common, many of those suffering from it don’t realize that their symptoms have a name, a potential cause, or a helpful solution. More importantly, they may not realize that if left untreated, their dry eyes may damage the surface of the cornea.
During the month of July, we acknowledge the important role our eyes play in our overall health and raise awareness surrounding this widespread condition.
Do I Have Dry Eye Disease?
If your eyes often feel irritated or gritty like there’s sand in them, or they experience a burning sensation, this can be a sign of dry eye disease. Other common symptoms include:
- Blurry vision
- Stringy discharge from the eyes
- Periods of excessive watering after periods of dry sensation
- Eye pain and redness
- Eyelids that feel heavy
Your optometrist can determine whether you have dry eye disease through an eye examination.
What is Dry Eye Disease?
If your eyes are healthy, tears should continuously lubricate the cornea (surface) of your eyes. This is achieved by blinking, which produces tears that nourish the cells of the cornea and aids in guarding your delicate eyes from dust, smoke, wind, and other foreign particles. Tears also help focus light, allowing you to see clearly.
Dry eye disease refers to a range of symptoms that are associated with a lack of lubrication on the eye’s surface. In other words, dry eye disease means you produce fewer or less effective tears.
What Causes Dry Eye Disease?
If you think you may be experiencing dry eye disease, you’re not alone. Dry eye disease increased notably during the pandemic as many of us spend more time looking at digital devices.
While screen time is a well-known cause of dry eye, there are many other causes which often overlap and interact. Some other causes of dry eye include:
- Eye surgery
- Contact lenses
- Low humidity
- Environmental irritants
- Certain medications
- Autoimmune diseases
- Aging
The hormonal changes associated with aging is one of the most common causes of dry eye, which tends to be seen more frequently in people over the age of 50.
How Can I Treat My Dry Eye Symptoms?
Dry eyes can be a nuisance, or worse, a debilitating and painful condition. The good news is, even if you’re one of the many Canadians suffering from dry eye symptoms, there’s a simple and effective treatment.
Say goodbye to burning, blurry eyes with our EVOLVE TM preservative and phosphate free dry eye drops. As some of the best in the industry, these drops are gentle on the eyes and provide quick, convenient relief for your symptoms of dry eye, plus long-lasting protection.
Available in Daily Intensive Eye Drops and our Intensive Gel Drops, our EVOLVETM Eye Drop range is scientifically designed to provide instant relief and long-term protection delivered in an easy-squeeze bottle. Use our Clinic Locator to find your nearest EVOLVETM retailer.
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