Dealing with dry, scratchy, or irritated eyes is an unwelcome part of day-to-day life, particularly when you can’t find a solution. In fact, dry eyes can turn even simple joys—like enjoying a sunny afternoon or curling up with a good book—into moments of discomfort and frustration.
While anyone can experience dry eye, genetics can play a role in how likely you are to develop this condition. For many, dry eye isn’t just a matter of environment or lifestyle, but partly the result of genetics that make dry eyes a more persistent issue. Recognizing the hereditary aspect of dry eyes can be a valuable starting point for understanding and managing your eye health.
What Are Dry Eyes?
Dry eye syndrome typically occurs for 2 reasons: either your eyes don’t produce enough tears, or the tears you do make are too low-quality to keep your eyes sufficiently lubricated.
The tear film consists of 3 key layers:
- Mucin Layer: This inner mucus layer keeps the tear film attached to the eye.
- Aqueous Layer: The middle watery layer hydrates and nourishes the eyes.
- Lipid Layer: The oily outer layer prevents tears from evaporating too quickly and helps the eye’s surface remain smooth.
When one or more of these layers isn’t functioning properly, dry eye symptoms may appear. These include:
- Burning or stinging sensations
- Gritty, sandy feelings in the eyes
- Watery eyes or excessive tear production
- Blurred vision
- Eye fatigue or a sensation of “heavy” eyelids
- Discomfort during extended visual tasks, such as reading or digital screen use
What Causes Dry Eyes?
There are lots of reasons why dry eyes happen—some that have to do with your body and some that have to do with your environment. Some of the main causes of dry eye include:
- Aging: Tear production naturally decreases with age, making older adults more prone to dry eye.
- Environment: Dry air, wind, smoke, or spending long periods in air-conditioned spaces can speed up tear evaporation.
- Digital screens: Staring at screens for too long reduces your rate of blinking, which is essential for evenly spreading tears.
- Hormones: Hormonal changes, especially during menopause or pregnancy, can lower tear production.
- Health conditions: Chronic issues like blepharitis, diabetes, or autoimmune disorders like Sjögren’s syndrome can affect tear quality or quantity.
- Medications: Drugs like antihistamines, decongestants, antidepressants, and some blood pressure meds can reduce tear production.
- Contact lenses: Overusing contact lenses can irritate eyes and disrupt the tear film, causing dryness.
- Eye surgery: Procedures like LASIK can temporarily or permanently reduce tear production and cause dry eye symptoms.
Your optometrist can often determine the causes of your dry eyes with an eye exam.
Is Dry Eye Syndrome Hereditary?
While we know that windy days or certain medications can affect tear production, what do we know about dry eyes and genetics? There is some research that shows people are more likely to develop dry eye syndrome because of their family history. For example:
- Autoimmune conditions like Sjögren’s syndrome or rheumatoid arthritis can impact tear production. Both of these have a genetic component, so, if they run in your family, you’re more likely to have them yourself, in which case you may be more likely to develop dry eye.
- Genetics can also make you more prone to issues like meibomian gland dysfunction. For instance, some people may be born with fewer or ineffective meibomian glands. Meibomian glands secrete the oil that keeps our tears from evaporating too quickly. When these glands malfunction or become blocked, dry eyes often follow.
While family history isn’t usually the only cause of dry eyes, it can increase your chances, especially when combined with things like your environment or lifestyle.
How an Optometrist Treats Dry Eye Syndrome
An optometrist doesn’t just confirm that you have dry eyes—we also try to identify the underlying causes. With specialized tools, we can figure out how serious your symptoms are and create a treatment plan that works for you.
Some of these treatments can be done at home, while others are provided by your optometrist during in-office visits. Depending on your needs, effective treatments may include:
- Artificial tears: Lubricating eye drops that provide immediate relief by adding moisture to dry eyes.
- Warm compresses: Applying a warm, damp cloth to the eyes to help open blocked meibomian glands and support natural tear production.
- Humidifiers: Adding moisture to the air in your home can reduce dryness in your eyes and surrounding environment.
- Eyelid hygiene: Regularly cleaning the eyelids with gentle cleansers can remove debris and bacteria that may worsen dryness.
- MiBo ThermoFlo: A soothing heat therapy that improves the function of meibomian glands by melting away blockages.
- Intense Pulsed Light (IPL): A light-based treatment designed to reduce inflammation and improve the quality of tears.
- Zocular Eyelid System Treatment (ZEST): A professional eyelid cleaning procedure that removes debris and restores eyelid health for better tear production.
- Radiofrequency (RF) Treatment: A non-invasive therapy that uses controlled heat to stimulate collagen production, improve eyelid skin elasticity, and support better tear function.
A More Comfortable Tomorrow Starts Today
If you’re tired of dealing with dry, gritty discomfort or struggling with blurry vision, now is the time to take action. At Foresee Eyecare, we’re passionate about helping our patients address their dry eye symptoms and their vision for years to come.When it comes to your eyes, no amount of discomfort is too small. Book an appointment with us today, and experience the benefits of expert care tailored to your needs. Relief starts here!
