Eye dryness (Keratokonjunctivitis sicca)

Definition and causes

Eye dryness is due to a disturbance of the tear film, either because of too little production of tears or due to excessive evaporation of tears. Many people find that their eyes may feel dry in less time, that is not the sign of real illness. If øjentørheden contrast, is more constant, it is often evidence of disease.

Eye dryness is most often in older people, so that around. 10% of all aged over 50 have symptoms of dry eyes. Eye dryness due to low production of tears is seen as part of a series of diseases such as. sarkoidose, HIV or rheumatoid arthritis. Eye dryness due to excessive evaporation seen by eyelid inflammation or poor functioning of the Meibomske glands, which normally produces a small layer of fat in the tear film, so that evaporation countered. Finally, it can also be seen that the tears easier for

Symptoms of eye dryness

Sensation of dryness in the eye.
Itching in the eyes.
Feeling of gravel in his eyes.
Fatigue in the face.
Redness of the eye.
Lysoverfølsomhed.

Precautions and diagnosis

If, for some time has been plagued by dry eye, you should go to his own doctor or an ophthalmologist. To make the diagnosis of eye dryness, the production and evaporation of tears is measured. Production is measured by Schirmer test in which a particular piece of paper placed in the lower eyelid fold. It is measured as the amount of paper to moisten the tears. To measure the evaporation stained eye with a substance called flourescein, after which you measure the time it takes before they become dry stain on

Treatment of dry eye

There is no treatment that can cure eye dryness, but there are treatments that may relieve the symptoms. You can dribble eyes with a kind of artificial tears, so eyes are kept moist at all times. This alleviated the symptoms significantly. If øjentørheden due to an underlying disease, that treated the best.

Select and complications

Sometimes øjentørheden disappear by itself, but in many cases it is a lifelong condition. By dryness of the eyes can cause damage to the cornea, for example. cornea inflammation and scratched cornea. This could in very rare cases, cause blindness.