Dry Eye with Dr Louise Yau

Can Dry Eye Disease affect my vision?

Absolutely. A lot of people think Dry Eye Disease is just about irritation or discomfort, but the tears that coat the front of your eyes actually play an important role in helping you see clearly.

You can think of the tear film like a sandwich made up of water (aqueous), oils (meibum) and protective proteins. All of these layers need to stay balanced. Every time you blink, your eyelids squeeze your oil glands and tear glands to help replenish the tear film. These oil glands can sometimes become blocked or inflamed, a condition known as Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (Craig et al., 2025). When the tear film becomes unstable or dries out too quickly, vision can become blurry or fluctuate throughout the day.

Many people notice that the longer they read, use screens or concentrate, the blurrier things become. Normally, we blink around 15 to 20 times per minute, but when using screens this can drop to almost half that amount (Argilés et al., 2021). Blinking helps spread fresh tears across the surface of the eye, so a common sign of an unstable tear film is when vision briefly clears after a blink.

Dry Eye Disease can also make glare and light sensitivity worse. Bright shopping centres, computer screens, headlights at night or outdoor sunlight may suddenly feel more uncomfortable than before.

For someone already living with low vision, even small changes in clarity, comfort or glare can make everyday tasks feel much harder and more tiring.

What lifestyle changes could I make at home to address Dry Eye Disease?

There are a number of simple changes that can make a meaningful difference.

Taking regular screen breaks, remembering to blink fully, avoiding direct air conditioning or fans blowing towards your face, and using lubricating eye drops recommended by your optometrist can all help improve comfort (Argilés et al., 2021) (Jones et al., 2025).

Many people may also benefit from cold compresses, especially if the eyelids feel itchy or appear red due to ocular rosacea or ocular allergies (Ngo et al., 2013). General health matters too. Staying hydrated, getting enough sleep, exercising regularly and eating a healthy balanced diet with omega-3 rich foods may all help support the eyes (Jones et al., 2025) (Ngo et al., 2013) (Giannaccare et al., 2023).

For people who wear makeup, avoiding eyeliner or foundation too close to the waterline and removing makeup properly each night can also help reduce irritation.

Optometrists can often detect signs that people are not blinking properly or sleeping with their eyes slightly open, which can dry the eyes out overnight. Some people may benefit from regularly performing a series of complete blinks throughout the day, particularly during extended periods of screen use. Blink exercises and blink awareness training have been shown to improve tear film stability and dry eye symptoms in some patients (Reddy, Nicholas, and Asbell, 2025).

Some people may also benefit from using a humidifier at home or a moisture-sealing eye mask at night to help keep the eyes from drying out while sleeping, especially CPAP users or people who sleep with ceiling fans on (Jones et al., 2025).

In some cases, the shape or position of the eyelids, or blocked tear ducts, may also contribute to watery eyes or blurry vision and require a referral to an ophthalmologist.

What conditions are commonly linked with Dry Eye Disease?

Dry Eye Disease is often connected with broader health, environmental and lifestyle factors.

Your optometrist may also notice other conditions occurring alongside Dry Eye Disease, such as allergies, eyelid inflammation or rosacea affecting the eyes and skin (Craig et al., 2025).

We also commonly see Dry Eye Disease linked with autoimmune conditions such as Sjögren’s syndrome, hormonal changes during menopause, ageing, and side effects from certain medications including antihistamines, antidepressants and some glaucoma eye drops (Craig et al., 2025).

Should I stop using technology?

Technology is incredibly important for staying independent and connected, so we don’t want people avoiding it altogether because of discomfort.

Often, it’s about making technology work better for your eyes. That might mean increasing text size, reducing screen glare, improving room lighting, using accessibility settings, taking regular breaks and remembering to blink fully (Argilés et al., 2021) (Jones et al., 2025) (Reddy, Nicholas and Asbell, 2025).

Some people also notice that symptoms become worse in air conditioning or when concentrating for long periods of time, so small environmental changes can help too.

The goal is not necessarily less technology. It’s using technology more comfortably.

Can Dry Eye Disease be cured?

Unfortunately, Dry Eye Disease is usually a chronic inflammatory condition, and it can affect everyone differently.

There is rarely one “magic” eye drop or treatment that cures Dry Eye Disease forever. Instead, management is often about building healthy habits and finding the right combination of treatments to keep symptoms under control (Jones et al., 2025).

This may include lubricating eye drops, dietary changes, prescription treatments or in-clinic therapies such as IPL or other light-based treatments (Jones et al., 2025) (Ngo et al., 2013) (Giannaccare et al., 2023).

With consistent care, many people can significantly improve their comfort and quality of life.

What happens if I don’t treat Dry Eye Disease?

Symptoms often gradually worsen over time. Dry Eye Disease can affect people of any age, but the effects of ongoing inflammation tend to build up over the years (Craig et al., 2025).

Many people only really notice it after cataract surgery or when vision starts fluctuating more during everyday activities like reading, driving or using screens. Early diagnosis and treatment is a bit like servicing your car regularly rather than waiting for it to break down completely. Small problems are usually easier to manage early, before inflammation and damage become more significant.

In more severe cases, the surface of the eye can become extremely dry, increasing the risk of infections, damage to the front of the eye and even corneal ulcers that may threaten vision (Craig et al., 2025) The tear film is one of the eye’s natural protective barriers, so when it becomes unhealthy, the eye becomes more vulnerable overall.

If your eyes are frequently sore, watery, gritty or your vision fluctuates throughout the day, it’s worth seeing your optometrist. Early diagnosis and treatment can make a significant difference to both comfort and long-term eye health.

Further resources

• Blink exercise demonstration (video) - Dr Reiko Arita.
• The Toyos Dry Eye Diet (book) - Dr Rolando Toyos.