Dry eye disease has become a prevalent problem in recent times. As the name suggests, it is a condition in which the eyes lose moisture, which leads to irritation. While dry weather can lead to dryness of the eyes, the condition is not much helped in the monsoon, when the weather is predominantly humid.
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In an interaction with HT Lifestyle, ophthalmologist Dr Neelima Shah explained why that is, and how woman are are at a greater risk.
What happens in dry eye disease?
According to Dr Neelima Shah, dry eyes develop mainly due to reduced secretion of tears, disturbances in the tear film stability or faster evaporation of the tear film of the eye. The tear film is a multi-layered structure that keeps the surface of the eyes moist, clear, and protected.
“The tear film has an aqueous or water layer, a mucin layer and a lipid or oil layer. Disruption of any of these components leads to dryness of the eyes,” stated the ophthalmologist. “The symptoms can include dryness, discomfort, burning, grittiness, heaviness, redness of the eyes, or rebound watering.”
Dry eye disease can be temporary, long-lasting or recurrent, pointed out Dr Shah. It affects different age groups and genders.
“However, it is established through studies that women have a higher dry eye problem than men of similar age groups. Also, older women seem to have a higher prevalence of dry eyes,” she noted.
What causes dry eye disease?
Some of the contributing factors for dry eye disease that are common for all people are listed as follows:
- Prolonged mobile, computer, tablet or TV watching, playing video games, and so on, lead to infrequent blinking and increased ocular surface exposure leading to dryness.
- Low humidity or air-conditioned environments, exposure to heat, or direct airflow can cause faster tear film evaporation.
- Prolonged contact lens usage can worsen dry eyes.
There are certain factors specific to women that make them more prone to developing dry eye disease, cautioned Dr Shah. They are as follows:
- Fluctuations in female hormones: The changes in natural female hormones like estrogen, progesterone and androgens affect the normal functioning of tear glands and oil glands in the eyelids. This disturbs the secretion and stability of tears.
- Older women going through perimenopause and menopause have a significant decline in these hormones, making them more susceptible to dry eye disease.
- There are fluctuations in female hormones during pregnancy and during a regular monthly cycle as well. Patients on hormone replacement therapy and oral contraceptive pills are also at a higher risk.
- Uncontrolled thyroid hormone levels tend to cause dry eyes due to disruption in the normal functioning of the tear and oil glands. Women have a disproportionately higher rate of thyroid hormone imbalance.
- Usage of cosmetics: Application of eye cosmetics can lead to blockage of the oil gland openings. Incomplete removal of eye makeup can worsen the problem.
- Inflammation of the surface of the eyes due to local or systemic causes can worsen dryness.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
Dr Neelima Shah, MBBS, MS, MPH, is an ophthalmologist with over 21 years of experience. She is a senior consultant ophthalmologist at Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital, Padmanabhanagar.
