Dry eyes

Dry eye syndrome is a common cause of eye irritation. Tears reduce the risk of eye infection and, with each blink of the eyelids, help clear your eyes of any debris.

When to seek medical advice

Although dry eyes don't usually cause permanent damage, diminished vision may prompt you to seek medical treatment.

See your doctor if you've had prolonged symptoms of dry eyes, including red, irritated, tired or painful eyes. Your doctor can take steps to determine what's bothering your eyes or refer you to a specialist.

Screening and diagnosis

If your eyes feel dry and irritated, your eye doctor can test both the quantity and the quality of your tears. The doctor may measure your tear production using the Schirmer tear test. In this test, blotting strips of paper are placed under your lower eyelids. After five minutes the amount of strip soaked by the tears is measured.

Other tests use special dyes in eyedrops to determine the surface condition of your eyes. Your doctor looks for staining patterns on the cornea and measures how long it takes before your tears evaporate.