Dry eyes syndrome is more complicated than the occasional dry eye. According to eye doctors, there are three broad factors causing eye dryness: aqueous deficiency, evaporative form, and a mixture of both. Aqueous deficient eyes don't produce enough liquid components.
The evaporative form happens when tears evaporate faster than the production from the tear glands. The mixture of both accounts for ninety percent of people with dry eyes syndrome.
Aqueous deficiency results from hormone changes, aging, invasive surgery, contact lenses, and medication that affect lacrimal glands affecting the production of tears. Invasive surgery can alter the nerve receptors that are hampering feedback to the brain. This is redirected to the tear glands, leading to reduced or failed production of tears for lubrication. Autoimmune conditions such as Sjogren's syndrome also cause aqueous deficiency. Eye doctors suggest that inflammatory conditions such as arthritis hamper mucus production leading to dryness associated with aqueous deficiency.
Evaporative forms of eye dryness depend on the environment and lifestyle habits. Humidity, temperature, and airflow affect moisture, causing dryness. Being outside during hot afternoons and exposure to a fan or AC causes faster airflow making your eyes lose water faster than they produce it. Spending long hours on the smartphone or the computer screen slows down blinking, leading to the same result.
