Can dry eyes cause blindness? Yes, they can.
Dry eye syndrome can actually have many repercussions, including vision problems. When you don’t have enough tears, or they aren’t of the proper quality, it can lead to blurred vision. Over time, this can worsen and make your vision even worse.
If you’re worried about your vision, then you should speak to a specialist right away. Don’t wait, even if you’ve been told that it’s unlikely it will get this bad. Read on to learn more.
Causes of Vision Loss and Dry Eye Disease
Dry eye disease is caused by tear gland dysfunction and the inability of the eye to produce enough tears to keep the eye moist and well lubricated, which can lead to scratched, blurry, or fluctuating vision. The most common dry eye causes include aging, medications, environmental factors, and wearing contact lenses for an extended period of time.
Vision loss can be caused by a variety of factors, including age, diabetes, glaucoma, macular degeneration, traumatic injuries, and eye diseases like the following:
- glaucoma
- cataracts
- age-related macular degeneration
Symptoms of Vision Loss and Dry Eye Syndrome
Generally, vision loss is characterized by blurred or decreased vision, difficulty focusing, and light sensitivity. Symptoms associated with dry eye syndrome include dryness, irritation, foreign body sensation, tearing, and redness.
In more severe cases of both vision loss and dry eye syndrome, patients may experience extreme pain and light sensitivity. Pain can often be throbbing, burning, or stabbing. Other signs of vision loss and dry eye syndrome may include itching, stinging, and excessive watering of the eyes.
Can Dry Eyes Cause Blindness?
Dry eyes can indeed be a cause for blindness, though more often, it will merely cause discomfort and pain. Severe dry eyes can result in significant damage to the cornea, which can cause some loss of vision, even up to total blindness in some cases.
In more severe cases, the eye can become so inflamed that the endothelium cells in the cornea can become completely destroyed, resulting in irreversible vision loss. In addition, if an infection occurs in the eye due to dry eyes, this can also cause permanent vision loss.
Treatments for Vision Loss and Dry Eye Disease
Dry eye disease can be treated with lubrication techniques, eye drops and ointments, and nutritional supplements. On the other hand, treatments for vision loss can include eyewear for correcting refractive errors, such as glasses, contact lenses, or corneal refractive surgery.
These treatments can help improve vision, especially in people with vision-related conditions like nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and presbyopia.
In more extreme cases, new or restored vision can be achieved through stem cell therapy or vision prosthetics. Check out this eye doctor to learn about the treatments that can improve vision and, in extreme cases, vision loss.
Learn All About Dry Eyes
In conclusion, can dry eyes cause blindness? The answer is yes. Vision loss can occur due to dry eyes, but it is a rare complication.
It is important to seek medical attention if you suspect vision loss due to dry eyes. Take action to protect your vision. Visit your eye doctor regularly to detect and treat any eye condition as soon as possible.
Looking for more tips and ideas? We’ve got you covered. Check out some of our other posts now.
