What are “Dry Eyes”???

Dryness of eyes is a problem that is increasing year after year from the time of turn of this century. The major reason for dryness has been excessive use of computer or digital screen. This problem has already been discussed in a separate article titled “Computer Vision Syndrome” (CVS). Besides computers, dryness can be due to several reasons like excessive use of air conditioners and use of contact lenses. It is found to be more prevalent among females, more common as the age advances, and among arthritis patients.

Dryness is not a vision threatening disease however it has a significant impact on quality of life. The most frequent symptoms of dryness are, burning of eyes, frequent intermittent blurring of vision which improves with blink, increased rate of blinking, redness of eyes and foreign body sensation.

Till about 20 years back, there was hardly any treatment for dryness of eyes. However, in the last few years, various types of eye drops and other treatment modalities have become available. The preservatives used in the eyedrops can sometimes lead to dryness. Hence, there was a need tointroduce machines that would help in proper diagnosis of dry eyes.

The most important treatment for dry eyes includes lifestyle modification. Maintaining good hygiene of eyes, maintaining medium cool temperature in the room alongwith good humidity, use of helmets (with the windshield on) on two wheelers, splashing water over the eyes, reducing stress alongwith the lifestyle modifications mentioned in “CVS” article are very important in prevention and treatment of dryness of eyes.
With a view to give proper guidance and relief to the patients, Wavikar Eye Institute’s DREAMM (Dry Eye and Meibomian Management) clinic was set up and it was inaugurated at the hands of Thane district collector Mr. Rajesh Narvekar in 2018. The clinic has the latest instruments for the detailed analysis of dry eye and customized treatment options to suit the patients’ needs.