Dry eye syndrome is a common eye condition and many people have it without even noticing it yet. Literally, it occurs when eyes are dry. It may happen to anyone regardless of their age, gender, race, ethnicity or nationality. Generally, when people have dry eye syndrome, they have these symptoms: itchy eyes, eye redness, stringy mucus in eyes, watery eyes and blurred vision. The following is an explanation of those symptoms.
Itchy eyes or irritant-sensitive eyes
Dry eyes means the tear film on the eye is not enough and the eye can not be well protected. As eyes are often exposed to a variety of insults, including but not limited to wind, smoke, dry air, fan ventilation and cleaning product fumes, the eyes will become itchy and sensitive to irritants, especially when when you are in the wind or around cigarette smoke.
Red or bloodshot eyes
Red or bloodshot eyes is one of the most common signs of dry eyes. As mentioned above, the cells on the surface of the eyes do not get protection when there is a lack of tears. The eyes are more likely to get irritated and inflamed. As a result, the eyes become red. Besides, the swollen blood vessels on the white, outer layer of eyeballs can make eyes look completely bloodshot.
Stringy mucus in the eye
When people do not have a good, watery layer on the eye surface, their eyes will have to endure friction and strain when they blink. That is a signal for the tear film to secrete more mucus to add moisture to the eyes. This symptom is more often seen in people who have moderate to severe dry eye syndrome, and it will get even worse when an infection or allergies happen. What makes the matter worse is that when people wipe their eyes to remove the mucus, that can lead to further insult to eye surface and worsen eye inflammation.
Excessive tearing or watery eyes
You may wonder why people with dry eye syndrome get watery eyes. Although it may sound strange, people who have dry eyes often may have intermittent excessive tearing. Irritation may cause reflex tearing, in which a large amount of tears are produced all at once. The excess tears pour over eyelids and down your cheeks. A short time later, the eyes may become irritated again, and the whole process may repeat itself.
Blurred vision
Blurry vision is another common symptom of dry eyes, and the blurred vision typically comes and goes. It may get clear in the morning since a night’s of shuteye gives the eyes a good rest. Nevertheless, when dryness starts during the day, the clear vision will probably be replaced with foggy vision.
In fact, many people who are suffering from dry eyes have to endure more symptoms in addition to those mentioned above. For example, they may also have extreme sensitivity to light, inability to cry, heavy eyes or eyelids, eye strain or eye pains. The symptoms and signs often worsen in dry climates, in windy conditions, in higher temperatures with lower humidity, with prolonged use of eyes, and toward the end of the day. Therefore, it’s better to prevent or relieve dry eyes by avoiding the above-mentioned factors and make sure eyes are not overused.