Do you wake up feeling like you have grit in your eyes? Do your eyes feel dry, sore and scratchy, particularly when you are driving, working at your computer or reading?
If so, you likely have dry eye or keratoconjunctivitis sicca—an uncomfortable condition where the eye does not produce a sufficient amount of tear film, or the film produced lacks the appropriate composition to prevent fast evaporation from the eye’s surface. Since the tear film serves to lubricate the eye when blinking, a lack of it can cause extreme discomfort.
Dry eye can be caused by a number of factors, including aging, environmental issues, and medications such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), diuretics, antihistamines, nasal decongestants, beta blockers, oral contraceptives and antidepressants. Sometimes, the dryness is temporary but, for most, it is a chronic condition that needs to be addressed for the ongoing comfort of the eyes.
Environmental factors contributing to fast evaporation of the tear film include: exposure to sunlight, wind, smoke, dry air, air conditioning and high altitude.
Health conditions such as allergies, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, eye infections, diabetes, lupus and blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelid) can also give rise to dry eye.
Symptoms of dry eye include stinging or burning of the eyes, scratchiness, stringy mucus in and around the eyes, blurriness, excess tear flow (as the eye attempts to better lubricate itself) and difficulty wearing contact lenses.
Most cases of dry eye can be successfully treated with eye drops specially formulated for remoisturizing the eyes. It is very important to use the appropriate eye drops since those formulated for allergies or red eyes do not provide symptom relief and might aggravate the condition.
Systane® Ultra is a highly effective formulation for dry eye relief. A low viscosity ensures minimal blurring on insertion and the pH adapts immediately to suit the natural pH of the eyes.
Systane® Ultra acts on all three layers of tear film present in the eye, helping the rebuilding process— and increasing comfort— with each blink.
