FAQ: Can Dry Eyes Be Cured?

Dry eyes, or dry eye syndrome, is a common condition that happens when either your eyes don’t make enough tears or you’re unable to maintain a layer of tears to coat your eyes. Over time, this can lead to inflammation and damage to the eye’s surface.

Symptoms of dry eyes include burning, red, or irritated eyes; blurred vision; and a scratchy sensation, like there’s something in your eye.

Dry eyes have many causes. Health conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or thyroid disease, hormone changes, and certain medications can lead to dry eye symptoms. In addition, people naturally tend to make fewer tears as they age.

Environmental factors like windy or dry climates, using contact lenses, and staring at a computer screen for long periods can also contribute to dry eyes.

Dry eyes can be temporary, especially if your symptoms are a result of an environmental factor such as a dry climate, prolonged computer use, or overuse of contact lenses. If your dry eyes are caused by medications, you symptoms may go away when you stop taking that medication.

For some people, however, dry eyes is a chronic condition. The symptoms may improve over time with treatment, but they may never go away completely.

Chronic dry eye happens when your eyes can’t produce or maintain enough tears for a healthy tear film. Chronic dry eye is often related to other health conditions like lupus, Sj?gren’s diseaseTrusted Source, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Dry eyes can often be managed, but not completely cured. Some treatments can be used permanently to manage your symptoms.

Dry eyes very rarely leads to blindness. However, in places where medical treatment is difficult to access, severe cases of dry eyes may cause other eye conditions that can lead to blindness.Without treatment, severe dry eyes can lead to a corneal ulcer. A corneal ulcer is an open sore that develops on the clear, dome-shaped, outer layer of your eyes, which is called the cornea. The cornea helps your eye focus light and maintain clear vision. If the ulcer isn’t treated, it can spread and scar the eyeball, causing partial or complete blindness.

Dry eyes can be temporary or a chronic condition, depending on the underlying cause. Without treatment, chronic dry eye can lead to complications, like a corneal ulcer.OTC artificial tears and certain lifestyle changes are often enough to manage mild dry eye symptoms, but if these don’t work, an eye care professional can help you find a suitable therapy. If you think you have dry eyes, talk with an eye doctor and take the examination to do prevention in a early stage.