Eye Care — DRY EYE SYMPTOMS

Although perhaps it seems obvious, there is a significant correlation between abnormal blink rate and chronic dry eye disease. Many patients with a decreased blink rate complain of suffering from typical dry eye symptoms, such as burning and itchiness. Interestingly, but not surprisingly, the correlation between dry eye and lowered blink rate is becoming more and more prevalent as certain kinds of eye strain, such as the overuse of computer screens, gains traction around the world. The function of the blink is to retain a clean, healthy tear film stability on the surface of the eye. Every blink facilitates the...

Chronic dry eye affects millions of people all over the US and the world. The condition arises when the tears do not provide enough moisture to the eyes. There are two primary affectations of the disease: aqueous tear deficiency (also called keratoconjunctivitis sicca), in which the eyes don’t produce enough tears; and excessive evaporative loss, in which tears evaporate faster than normal. When tears can’t effectively protect the surface of the eye, dry spots are created that cause pain and irritation. Both types of chronic dry eye produce symptoms that are important to recognize and treat. There are quite a...