The cold arrives, we switch on the heating and, suddenly, that gritty feeling, itching, red eyes or blurred vision that comes and goes becomes unbearable. This is Dry Eye Syndrome, one of the most common conditions seen in ophthalmology clinics and, without doubt, the one that worsens most in winter.
Why is it becoming more and more common? And why do artificial tears sometimes seem not to be enough? At Clínica Ramírez & Gálvez, we explain the causes of this silent epidemic and the cutting-edge treatments that tackle the root of the problem.
Why Do We Suffer from Dry Eye? It Is Not One Cause, It Is a Perfect Storm
Our eyes need a good-quality tear film to stay hydrated, protected and able to focus properly. Dry eye appears when this film fails. The most common causes are:
- Dry Environments: This is the star factor in winter. Heating (at home, in the car, at the office) dries out the air enormously, causing our tears to evaporate at full speed.
- Screen Use: This is the other major culprit. When we look at a screen (mobile phone, computer), our brain “forgets” to blink. We reduce our blink rate by up to 60%, and blinking is what spreads the tears across the eye.
- Age and Hormonal Changes: With age, especially in women, tear production and quality decrease.
- Other Factors: Contact lens wear, pollution, wind or certain medications.
Not All Dry Eye Is the Same: Are You Lacking “Quantity” or “Quality”?
This is the key point for understanding treatment. Artificial tears only add “quantity” (water), but most cases of dry eye are not due to a lack of water, but to a lack of quality.
Our tears need a layer of oil (produced by the meibomian glands in the eyelids) to prevent them from evaporating. If this oil is of poor quality or the glands are blocked, the tears evaporate in seconds. This is called Evaporative Dry Eye, and it is the most common type.
Treatment: Beyond Tears (IPL Technology) ✅
If you suffer from evaporative dry eye, using only tears is like trying to fill a bucket with a hole in it. You have to “plug” the hole. This is where advanced technology comes in:
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) is one of the most effective treatments for the root of the problem. This treatment, applied to the eyelids:
- Uses pulses of thermal light to reduce chronic inflammation.
- Warms and unblocks the meibomian glands, stimulating them to produce that good-quality oily layer again.
By improving the quality of your own tears, they stop evaporating so quickly and the symptoms disappear or improve dramatically.
Don’t Resign Yourself to Living with Discomfort 🌟
Dry eye is not just a minor nuisance; it is a disease of the ocular surface that can affect your quality of life. If artificial tears are not enough, don’t resign yourself to it.
At Clínica Ramírez & Gálvez we have the most advanced diagnostic technology to find out which type of dry eye you have and offer you the treatment you really need. Book your appointment and enjoy visual comfort again this winter.