If your eyes often feel gritty, burning, or tired by the end of the day, you're not imagining it — and you're not alone. Dry eye disease is one of the most common reasons patients visit our office, and the good news is that it's also one of the most treatable.

What Is Dry Eye Disease?

Dry eye happens when your eyes don't produce enough tears, or when the tears you do produce aren't good quality — evaporating too quickly or lacking the right balance of oil, water, and mucus to keep your eye's surface comfortable and protected.

Common Symptoms

Dry eye doesn't always feel like you'd expect. Along with dryness, it can cause:

• A gritty or "sandy" sensation
• Burning or stinging
• Redness
• Blurry vision that clears with blinking
• Sensitivity to light
• Watery eyes (yes — excess tearing is often the eye's overreaction to irritation)

What Causes It?

Dry eye becomes more common with age, but it's also linked to screen time, contact lens wear, certain medications, seasonal allergies, hormonal changes, and environments with low humidity or lots of wind or air conditioning. Meibomian gland dysfunction — when the small oil glands along your eyelids don't function properly — is one of the leading underlying causes.

Treatment Options

Relief depends on the cause and severity, and often involves more than one approach:

• Artificial tears or preservative-free lubricating drops
• Prescription anti-inflammatory drops
• Warm compresses and eyelid hygiene
• Punctal plugs to help retain natural tears
• In-office treatments like IPL therapy for more stubborn cases

The Bottom Line

Dry eye is common, but "common" doesn't mean you have to just live with it. A proper evaluation can identify what's actually causing your symptoms so we can recommend a treatment that targets the real problem, not just the discomfort.

Struggling with dry, irritated eyes? Schedule a dry eye evaluation with our team.