What Causes Dry Eyes?
Dry eyes occur either when your tears are of poor quality or if you do not produce enough to provide adequate lubrication. Dry eyes can lead to holes in the tear film, exposing the corneal nerves and causing pain and irritation every time you blink. Since you blink nearly 11,500 times a day, dry eyes can be extremely painful.
The Tear Film
You may not think much about them, but your tears are essential for protecting, nourishing, and maintaining the health of your eyes and for providing you with clear vision.
Your tear film is made of 3 distinct layers:
- The oily outer layer keeps tears from evaporating too quickly and keeps the surface of the eyes smooth.
- The watery middle layer moistens the eyes and nourishes the eye tissue.
- The inner mucus layer helps the tear film stick to the surface of the eyes.
Although an imbalance in the tear film causes dry eyes, there are many reasons why they may develop in the first place. These include environmental conditions, age, medications, and autoimmune disorders.
