Dry eye syndrome

Dry eyes is the common name for corneal and conjunctival dryness due to deficient tear production (the cornea is the clear, dome-shaped outer surface of the eye over the pupil; the  conjunctiva is the mucous membrane covering the entire front of the eye and inside of the eyelids).  It may feel as if there is something gritty in the eye, or that the eye lids are heavy and it is difficult to blink, or there is blurred vision. There are two main types of chronic dry eye:

• Deficiency: triggered by an inadequate production of tear volume
• Evaporative: more common, this condition is triggered by an acceleration of tear evaporation due to poor quality tear production

When insufficient tears are produced, or the composition of the tears changes, it can affect both the health of the eye and vision -- tears on the surface of your eye affect how your eye focuses light and color.   Depriving the eye of moisture may lead to significant complications, notably a greater number of infections that result in inflammation of the conjunctiva. Left untreated, dry eye may increase the number of corneal abrasions and ulcerations to the cornea (keratist) that may ultimately lead to deterioration of vision.

The risk of developing dry eye increases with age and women appear to suffer with the condition more than men.