Condition Journey
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Mild burning, itching, and slightly blurry vision are common in the early stage of dry eye. You may blink more often than usual or rub your eyes. These symptoms might only appear when you’re exposed to environmental triggers such as wind or dry air.
Your eye doctor may see some inflammation of the conjunctiva, the membrane that covers the white part of the eye.
Artificial tears, moisturizing gels, and ointments can help treat mild dry eye. Holding warm compresses to your eyes can help by unblocking some of the glands on the eyelid that produce tears. Using a humidifier to add moisture to the air can also relieve symptoms.
Mild dry eye
Mild dry eye
Moderate dry eye
Most severe
dry eye
Dry eye that isn’t treated can progress to the last and most severe stage. Eye symptoms like burning, stickiness,
light sensitivity, blurry vision, and itching are constant
and severe enough to disrupt your daily life.
Long-term dryness can cause damage and scarring on the surface of the cornea. Your eyelid may become stuck to your eye.
In addition to previously recommended treatments, in some cases, your eye doctor may recommend surgery to connect the upper and lower eyelids, which partially closes the eye and gives it a chance to heal. The eye can be reopened later.
Increasingly
severe dry eye
By this stage, your eyes are very dry. The tears that are left are more concentrated and saltier. The increased saltiness leads to even more inflammation and eye dryness. Symptoms like pain and the feeling of something foreign in your eye are constant.
Your eye doctor will see more damage on your cornea. There may be strands of damaged cells and mucus called filamentary keratitis on the eye.
In addition to previous treatments, another option at this stage is autologous serum eye drops made from your own blood. These drops increase lubrication in the eye and promote healing. Other medications are also available to increase tear production.
At this stage, symptoms like redness, a gritty feeling in your eye, and dryness get worse. Moderate dry eye may be irritating and uncomfortable enough to limit your daily activities.
Your eye doctor will notice inflammation in your conjunctiva and possibly dry spots in the tear film that covers and protects your eye.
Treatment at this stage may include lubricating eye drops, anti-inflammatory eye drops, and/or special plugs placed into the tear ducts to keep more tears in your eyes.
Moderate dry eye
Condition Progression Guide
Dry Eye
Increasingly
severe dry eye
Most severe
dry eye
