Eye Drops are Not Enough - Risk Factors for Chronic Dry Eye Syndrome. What you have to lose when not treated.
There are numerous risk factors for dry eye syndrome: include but not limited to:
1. Women in menopause
Menopause women who receive hormone replacement therapy are at higher risk. Postmenopausal women who use hormone replacement therapy, especially estrogen, have a higher prevalence of dry eye syndrome compared with those who have never used hormone replacement therapy. In clinical experience, both menopausal and postmenopausal women tend to have dry eye symptoms; this can be attributed to the significant decrease of tear production around the sixth decade of life in women.4 Similarly, it has been noted that women with primary ovarian failure develop clinically significant dry eye syndrome.
3. Medications -
Medications such as diuretics (to lower high blood pressure) , antidepressants, antihistamines, anticholinergics, and systemic retinoids like Accutane can increase the risk of developing dry eye syndrome.
4. Environmental factors,
Such as reduced humidity and increased wind, drafts, air conditioning, or heating may worsen the ocular discomfort of patients with dry eye. Exogenous irritants and allergens, although not believed to be causative of dry eye, can certainly increase the symptoms of dry eye syndrome in patients, as can extended visual tasking during computer use, television watching, and prolonged reading.
5. LASIK or PRK Surgery:
Following refractive surgery such as laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) or photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), patients for several months may experience significant dry eye due to the severing of the corneal nerves during surgery.
6. Systemic Diseases: Sjogrens, Blepharitis, Lymphoma, Viral Infections, AIDS …
Dry eye-associated systemic diseases include Sjögren's syndrome, where inflammation of the lacrimal gland leads to tear-production deficiency, and rosacea, which is associated with posterior blepharitis with increased tear evaporation. Aqueous tear deficiency may develop in systemic pathologies such as lymphoma, sarcoidosis, hemochromatosis, and amyloidosis. Dry eye may likewise develop in patients with systemic viral infections and AIDS. Lacrimal gland swelling, dry eye, and Sjögren’s syndrome have been associated with Epstein-Barr virus infections and decreased tear production, reduced tear volume, and reduced tear lactoferrin concentrations have been seen in patients with hepatitis C. Neuromuscular disorders that affect the patient’s blink (e.g., Parkinson disease, Bell palsy) can lead to dry eye syndrome as can localized findings such as eyelid malposition, lagophthalmos, and blepharitis.
7. Cancer Treatments
Radiation, Transplantation, Localized trauma, including orbital surgery, radiation, and injury, may also cause dry eye.
You can see from all the research into the risk factors of DED that we need to go beyond just dispensing some artificial tear to our DED patients. We need to look into the lifestyle of our patients to insure we address the underlying issues our patients may have. It is the first step to insure success in DED treatment.
TheraLife Can Help
Theralife Eye
An alternative is to try an oral system that help your tear glands secret your own tears naturally throughout the day.
TheraLife Eye capsules are formulated to be taken orally. It is unique because it targets tear secretion through intra-cellular mechanisms (internal cell functions). Once the person have been on TheraLife Eye and feel relief, they can also bring the capsules with them when doing outdoors activities being exposed to sun and wind. Simply take a few more capsules in addition to the regular dosage when eyes feel dry again. Usually the relief comes within 20-30 minutes. Give TheraLife Eye a try.
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REFERENCES
- American Academy of Ophthalmology Cornea/External Disease Panel. Preferred Practice Pattern® Guidelines. Dry Eye Syndrome. San Francisco, CA: American Academy of Ophthalmology; 2008.
- Moss SE, Klein R, Klein BE. Prevalence of and risk factors for dry eye syndrome. Arch Ophthalmol 2000; 118: 1264-8.
- Schaumberg DA, Buring JE, Sullivan DA, et al. Hormone replacement therapy and dry eye syndrome. JAMA 2001; 286: 2114-9.
- Lambert DW, Foster CS, Perry HD. Schirmer test after topical anesthesia and the tear meniscus height in normal eyes. Arch Ophthalmol 1979; 97: 1082–1085.
- Smith JA, Vitale S, Reed GF, et al. Dry eye signs and symptoms in women with premature ovarian failure. Arch Ophthalmol 2004; 122: 151–156.
- Seedor JA, Lamberts D, Bergmann RB, Perry HD. Filamentary keratitis associated with diphenhydramine hydrochloride (Benadryl). Am J Ophthalmol 1986; 101: 376-7.
- Bergmann MT, Newman BL, Johnson NC Jr. The effect of a diuretic (hydrochlorothiazide) on tear production in humans. Am J Ophthalmol1985; 99: 473-5.
- Schlote T, Kadner G, Frudenthaler N. Marked reduction and distinct pattern of eye blinking in patients with moderately dry eyes during video display terminal use. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2004; 242: 306–312.
- Ang RT, Dartt DA, Tsubota K. Dry eye after refractive surgery. Curr Opin Ophthalmol. 2001; 12: 318–322.
- Donnenfeld ED, Ehrenhaus M, Solomon R, et al. Effect of hinge width on corneal sensation and dry eye after laser in situ keratomileusis. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2004; 30: 790–797.
- Drosos AA, Constantopoulos SH, Psychos D, et al. The forgotten cause of sicca complex; sarcoidosis. J Rheumatol 1989; 16: 1548-51.
- Fox RI. Systemic diseases associated with dry eye. Int Ophthalmol Clin1994; 34: 71-87.
- Itescu S. Diffuse infiltrative lymphocytosis syndrome in human immunodeficiency virus infection - a Sjogren's-like disease. Rheum Dis Clin North Am 1991; 17: 99-115.
- Lucca JA, Farris RL, Bielory L, Caputo AR. Keratoconjunctivitis sicca in male patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1.Ophthalmology 1990; 97: 1008-10.
- Merayo-Lloves J, Baltatzis S, Foster CS. Epstein-Barr virus dacryoadenitis resulting in keratoconjunctivitis sicca in a child. Am J Ophthalmol 2001; 132: 922-3.
- Siagris D, Pharmakakis N, Christofidou M, et al. Keratoconjunctivitis sicca and chronic HCV infection. Infection 2002; 30: 229-33.
- Deuschl G, Goddemeier C. Spontaneous and reflex activity of facial muscles in dystonia, Parkinson's disease, and in normal subjects. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1998; 64: 320-4.
