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My Dry Eye Clinic

FAQ

Dry Eye Disease

Dry eye disease is a common, long-term condition that can cause gritty, sore, watery, burning or tired eyes, fluctuating vision and contact lens discomfort. At your Dry Eye Clinic assessment, we identify the underlying causes — such as meibomian gland dysfunction, inflammation, blepharitis, rosacea, tear instability or poor tear volume – and create a personalised treatment plan. Some treatments give quick relief, but meaningful improvement often takes weeks or months because the tear film, eyelid glands and ocular surface need time to recover.

What is dry eye disease?

Dry eye disease is a common condition where the tear film does not work as well as it should. Your tears are not just “water” — they are a delicate mixture of oil, water, mucus, nutrients and protective factors. When this system becomes unstable, the surface of the eye can become irritated, inflamed and more sensitive.

Dry eye can cause burning, stinging, watering, grittiness, tired eyes, blurred vision, fluctuating vision, redness, light sensitivity, contact lens discomfort or a feeling that something is in the eye.

This is one of the most common questions we hear. When the tear film is unstable, the eye can become irritated and may produce reflex watery tears. These emergency tears can spill onto the cheeks, but they often do not contain enough of the oily and protective components needed to keep the eye comfortable.

So, watery eyes can still be a sign of dry eye disease.

Dry eye is usually multifactorial, meaning there is often more than one cause. Common contributors include:

Ageing, hormonal changes, menopause, screen use, contact lens wear, eyelid inflammation, meibomian gland dysfunction, blepharitis, rosacea, allergies, some medications, autoimmune disease, previous eye surgery, environmental factors, air conditioning, heating, wind and reduced blinking.

A key part of your dry eye assessment is working out which factors are most important for you.

Meibomian glands are tiny oil glands in the eyelids. They release oil into the tear film each time you blink. This oil layer helps stop your tears evaporating too quickly.

If the glands become blocked, inflamed or underactive, the tears can evaporate too fast. This is called meibomian gland dysfunction, or MGD, and it is one of the most common causes of dry eye symptoms.

Dry eye symptoms often fluctuate. You may feel worse after screen use, driving, reading, being outdoors, wearing contact lenses, being in air conditioning, during hay fever season or when you are tired.

The tear film is very dynamic. Small changes in blinking, environment, inflammation or oil gland function can make symptoms feel much better or much worse from day to day.

Dry eye is not the same for everyone. Two people may both say their eyes feel dry, but one may have blocked oil glands, another may have inflammation, another may have allergy, another may have poor tear volume, and another may have nerve-related ocular pain.

A specialist assessment helps us identify what type of dry eye you have and which treatments are most likely to help. This allows us to create a more targeted plan rather than simply trying drops at random.

Your assessment may include a detailed discussion of your symptoms, lifestyle, medical history, medications, contact lens wear and previous treatments.

We may also assess your tear film, eyelids, meibomian glands, ocular surface staining, tear stability, lid margins, blinking pattern and signs of inflammation. Where appropriate, imaging or specialist tests may be used to help explain what is happening and monitor progress.

Dry eye is often a long-term condition, but it can usually be managed very successfully. The aim is to improve comfort, protect the surface of the eye, stabilise the tear film, reduce inflammation and help you understand how to control flare-ups.

Some people only need short-term treatment. Most people need an ongoing maintenance plan, particularly if they have meibomian gland dysfunction, rosacea, autoimmune disease, hormonal changes or long-term screen-related symptoms.

Dry eye often develops over months or years, so the ocular surface and eyelid glands may need time to recover. Treatments such as lubricants may give some short-term relief, but improving tear film stability, calming inflammation and restoring gland function usually takes longer.

It is a bit like treating sensitive skin or gum disease: one treatment may help, but the best results usually come from consistent care over time.

Many patients notice gradual improvement over several weeks, but more established dry eye may take a few months of regular treatment and review.

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Using drops only when your eyes feel uncomfortable can help temporarily, but it may not be enough to stabilise the tear film. Regular use can help protect the ocular surface, reduce friction during blinking and support healing.

Your clinician will advise how often to use your drops, but many patients need a consistent routine at first before moving to a maintenance plan.

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No. Different drops work in different ways. Some mainly add moisture, some support the oily layer, some are designed for overnight use, some are preservative-free, and some are better suited to more severe dry eye.

Using the wrong type of drop may give limited benefit. We can advise which lubricant is most appropriate for your tear film and symptoms.

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Preservative-free drops are often recommended for patients who need frequent drops, have sensitive eyes, use multiple eye medications, wear contact lenses, or have moderate to severe dry eye. Preservatives can irritate the ocular surface in some people, especially with repeated use.

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Warm compresses or heated eye masks can help soften thickened oils in the meibomian glands. This can support better oil flow into the tear film.

However, heat treatment needs to be done correctly and consistently. It is usually most effective when combined with lid massage or other in-clinic treatments if the glands are significantly blocked.

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Lid hygiene helps reduce debris, crusting, bacteria and inflammatory material around the eyelid margins. It can be particularly helpful for blepharitis, meibomian gland dysfunction and rosacea-related eye disease.

Lid hygiene is not just about “cleaning the eyes”; it is about improving the environment where the tear film is produced.

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Intense pulsed light, or IPL, is an in-clinic treatment often used for meibomian gland dysfunction and rosacea-associated dry eye. It uses controlled pulses of light to target inflammation around the eyelids and improve the function of the oil glands.

IPL is usually performed as a course of treatments rather than a one-off session, because the glands and surrounding inflammation need time to respond.

Intense pulsed light, or IPL, is an in-clinic treatment often used for meibomian gland dysfunction and rosacea-associated dry eye. It uses controlled pulses of light to target inflammation around the eyelids and improve the function of the oil glands.

IPL is usually performed as a course of treatments rather than a one-off session, because the glands and surrounding inflammation need time to respond.

Dry eye often has several overlapping causes. For example, you may have tear evaporation, blocked oil glands, eyelid inflammation and screen-related reduced blinking all contributing at the same time.

This means the best plan often combines several approaches, such as lubricants, lid hygiene, heat treatment, environmental changes, nutrition advice, prescription medication, IPL, LLLT or other in-clinic treatments.

Some patients need prescription treatment if there is significant inflammation, allergy, infection, eyelid disease or more advanced ocular surface disease. Prescription options may include anti-inflammatory drops, allergy medication, antibiotic or anti-inflammatory lid treatments, or other therapies depending on your diagnosis.

Your clinician will explain why a prescription is or is not appropriate in your case.

A stable tear film is the first focusing surface of the eye. If the tear film breaks up quickly between blinks, vision can blur or fluctuate. This is why many patients say their vision clears briefly after blinking or using drops, then becomes blurry again.

Improving the tear film can often improve visual comfort and stability.

Yes. Contact lenses sit within the tear film, so if the tear film is unstable, lenses may feel dry, gritty, sticky or uncomfortable. Dry eye can also reduce wearing time and make vision fluctuate.

We may recommend treating the dry eye first, changing lens material, altering wearing time, changing care products or considering a different type of lens.

Yes. When we use screens, we blink less often and our blinks are often incomplete. This allows the tear film to evaporate more quickly and can make symptoms worse.

Regular blinking, screen breaks, improved workstation setup and treating the underlying tear film problem can all help.

Helpful home measures may include using the correct eye drops regularly, taking screen breaks, blinking fully, staying hydrated, using a heated eye mask if advised, cleaning the eyelids, avoiding direct air flow, using a humidifier, removing eye make-up thoroughly and following your personalised treatment plan.

Avoid frequently switching products without advice, as this can make it harder to know what is helping.

Diet may play a supporting role, especially where inflammation, skin health or meibomian gland function are involved. Some patients benefit from improving hydration, reducing highly processed foods, and increasing omega-3 rich foods such as oily fish, nuts and seeds.

Diet alone rarely fixes dry eye, but it can support a broader treatment plan.

This depends on the type and severity of your dry eye. Some people feel improvement within days of using the right lubricant or stopping an aggravating factor. Others need several weeks or months, especially if there is inflammation, gland blockage or longstanding ocular surface damage.

As a general guide, symptoms may improve before the clinical signs fully recover. This is why review appointments are important.

Follow-up allows us to check whether your treatment is working, adjust your plan and monitor changes in the tear film, eyelids and ocular surface. Dry eye treatment often needs refinement.

If something is not improving, we can escalate or change the approach rather than leaving you struggling with the same symptoms.

Mild dry eye may simply be irritating, but more significant dry eye can affect quality of life, reading, driving, screen work, contact lens wear and visual comfort. In some cases, ongoing inflammation can damage the ocular surface and make the eyes more sensitive over time.

Early, targeted management can help reduce flare-ups and protect long-term eye comfort whilst also helping to avoid irreversible gland damage.

Please seek urgent eye care if you have sudden vision loss, severe pain, marked light sensitivity, a very red eye, a new injury, a chemical splash, a painful contact lens-related red eye, new flashes or floaters, or symptoms that feel very different from your usual dry eye.

Dry eye can be uncomfortable, but severe pain, significant light sensitivity or sudden vision change should not be ignored.

At My Dry Eye Clinic, we look beyond quick fixes. Our aim is to understand why your eyes are dry, explain what is happening clearly, and create a personalised management plan.

Dry eye treatment is a journey. With the right diagnosis, consistent care and appropriate treatment, many patients can achieve meaningful improvement in comfort, vision and confidence.