When your eyes don’t have enough lubrication, you will experience dry eyes. Each time you blink, you will get a film of tears that coats the eye to lubricate it.
If you aren’t producing enough tears or have poor quality tears, you will have dry, irritated eyes. You may also feel a stinging or burning sensation in your eyes.
One of the most common causes of dry eyes is dry weather. When the humidity is low and the weather is dry, it is common for your eyes to dry out. Dry weather can also come with blasts of wind that may blow particles and debris into the eyes, which can also cause them to dry up.
There are a variety of signs that you are dealing with dry eyes due to the weather, such as:
Sensitive to Glare – If the dry weather is affecting your eyes, you may notice that you have difficulty seeing in bright light. When you have dry eyes due to dry weather, your eyes can become sensitive to bright light and can also cause blinding headaches with pain originating from the eyes.
Blurry Vision- Dry eyes can also lead to blurry vision. When your eye is not lubricated enough, the lens of your eye can have difficulty focusing on objects. You may also experience a constant itching that can make your eyelids puffy, resulting in blurry vision. Driving at night with dry eyes can also be challenging due to blurriness.
Discharge from the Eyes – As your eyes become dry and irritated due to dry weather, the absence of tears can result in poor eye drainage. Bacteria, debris, and other pathogens can float around your eye and cause infection. To prevent infection, your eye works to drain and fight infection, which can cause thick, stringy mucous to build up in the corners of your eyes.
Burning Sensation – During the hot, dry months of summer, you may notice your eyes are itchy by the end of the day. This scratchy sensation may also be coupled with a burning sensation. We recommend that you wash your eyes with cool water to reduce the burning. For more serious cases, you may need artificial tears to treat the burning.
Red, Teary Eyes – As mentioned above, dry eyes can become itchy, red, and irritated. When you have dry eyes, it may feel like you have something rough in your eyes all day. As you itch your eyes, they can become red, and you will experience excessive tearing due to the itching sensation.
If the dry summer weather has your eyes red and irritated, contact Dittman Eyecare today to learn more about dry eye solutions and how we can provide top care for your vision.
