Could Inflammation Be Responsible for Your Dry Eye Symptoms?
Inflammatory dry eye could be the reason that your eyes feel dry and irritated year-round. Luckily, your optometrist can offer treatment options that reduce inflammation and improve tear production.
What Is Inflammatory Dry Eye?
Dry eye occurs when tears evaporate too quickly, your eyes don't make enough tears, or the tears your body does make are of poor quality. The condition can be a problem if you spend time in a windy or smoky environment or don't blink often when using a digital screen. In some cases, dry eye can also be caused by inflammation. Inflammation may affect the quantity and quality of your tears and cause chronic dry eye.
You may be wondering how your eyes could be inflamed when you haven't had an eye injury or don't have an eye disease. Inflammation can affect your entire body and doesn't only happen after an injury, disease, or illness. Weight gain, stress, aging, toxins and pollutants, depression, a sedentary lifestyle, an autoimmune disease, or a poor diet can cause inflammation, according to Harvard Medical School.
If you have chronic inflammation, you could either have no symptoms or experience:
- Aches and Pains
- Fatigue
- Rashes
- Fever
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Constipation
- Weight Loss or Gain
- Insomnia
- Trouble Concentrating
- Sores in Your Mouth
- Headaches
- Frequent Illnesses or Infections
According to an article in the January/February 2024 issues of Modern Optometry, inflammation can affect the cornea, lacrimal gland, conjunctiva, and meibomian glands in the eye. The clear, rounded cornea covers your iris and pupil, while the conjunctiva is the white part of your eye. Lacrimal and meibomian glands are involved in tear production. Lacrimal glands make tears. Meibomian glands contribute oils that prevent tears from evaporating too quickly.
The article notes that inflammation may affect tear film balance and cause inflamed dry eyes. Once inflammation starts, it may continue to worsen. As inflammation increases, the nerves in your eyes may become irritated, triggering burning and irritation. The condition may also affect the normal functioning of cells in your eyes. If inflammatory dry eye isn't treated, permanent damage to the eye could occur.
How Is Inflammatory Dry Eye Treated?
Depending on your symptoms and the severity of your condition, one or more of these treatments may be recommended:
- Antibiotic or Corticosteroid Eye Drops to Reduce Eye Inflammation and Improve Comfort
- Eye Drops to Decrease Tear Gland Inflammation
- Prescription Nasal Spray, Drops, or Pills to Boost Tear Production
- Tiny Plugs Inserted Into Tear Ducts to Prevent Tear Drainage
- Rice-Sized, Dissolvable Eye Inserts That Moisten the Eye
- Warm Compresses to Unblock Clogged Meibomian Glands
- Intense Pulsed Light Therapy to Reduce Inflammation and Improve Meibomian Gland Function
Lifestyle Changes That May Improve Your Inflammatory Dry Eye Symptoms
In addition to the treatments recommended by your optometrist, reducing chronic inflammation in your body can be helpful. You can reduce inflammation by:
- Improving Your Diet. Fried, fatty, and sugary foods have all been linked to increased inflammation. Fill your grocery bags with whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fish, lean meats, and poultry instead. Bake foods instead of frying them, and use healthy fats, like olive, canola, or sesame oil, when cooking.
- Making Lifestyle Changes. Stop smoking, limit your consumption of alcohol, get more exercise, lose weight, and prioritize sleep.
- Keeping Stress Under Control. Any activity that helps you feel relaxed or calm can help you reduce stress, whether it's reading a book, going for a walk, or practicing yoga.
- Adding Omega-3 Fatty Acids to Your Diet. Omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation naturally. Foods that contain these acids include salmon, mackerel, chia seeds, sardines, herring, oysters, flaxseeds, kidney beans, and trout. Supplements containing Omega-3 fatty acids are also available.
Are your eyes constantly dry, red, itchy, and uncomfortable? We can help you find a solution for your dry eye symptoms. Contact our office to schedule a convenient appointment with the optometrist.
Sources:
Modern Optometry: The Role of Inflammation and Immune Response in Dry Eye, January/February 2024
International Journal of Ophthalmology: Inflammation and Dry Eye Disease – Where Are We?,5/18/2022
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9091897/
WebMD: Dry Eye and Inflammation, 5/9/2022
https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/dry-eye-inflammation
About Vision: Dry Eyes: Symptoms and Causes, 1/28/2023
https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/dryeye.htm
Cleveland Clinic: Inflammation, 3/22/2024
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/21660-inflammation