When the words on your page start to look fuzzy or the computer screen you’ve spent hours focusing on becomes blurrier, your glasses might not be to blame. Dry eye disease could be the culprit.
Burning, stinging, watery eyes, and redness are the symptoms commonly associated with dry eye. But one of the most common—and often overlooked—signs is blurry vision.
Dry eye therapies can help improve dry eye symptoms, including blurry vision. The sooner we develop a treatment plan that aligns with you, the sooner we can restore your visual clarity and overall comfort.
Dry Eye, Defined
Your eyes rely on a healthy layer of tears, called the tear film, to stay moist, protected, and clear. This isn’t just the watery tears you cry; it’s a complex, three-layer film that coats the surface of your eyes.
- The mucus (inner) layer: This sticky layer helps the tear film adhere to the eye’s surface.
- The watery (middle) layer: This is the thickest layer, providing moisture and washing away debris.
- The (outer) layer: Produced by the meibomian glands in your eyelids, this oily layer prevents tears from evaporating too quickly.
Dry eye occurs when there’s an imbalance in this system. Either your eyes don’t produce enough tears, or the tears that your eyes do produce are of poor quality and evaporate too quickly. This results in a string of irritating symptoms we know all too well: redness, watery eyes, dryness, and blurry or fluctuating vision.
Blurry Vision & Dry Eye: The Connection
The connection between dry eye and blurry vision all comes down to the corneal surface. When your tear film is healthy and stable, it creates a pristine, even surface that allows light to pass through and focus correctly on the retina, giving you sharp vision.
Dry eye disrupts this pathway. With dry eye, that smooth tear film becomes unstable and uneven. Patches on the cornea can dry out between blinks, creating a rough, irregular surface. When light hits this bumpy surface, that light scatters instead of focusing properly, resulting in blurry vision.
This blurriness is often temporary and can fluctuate. You might notice clear vision in the morning that gets progressively blurrier as the day goes on, especially with tasks that reduce how often we blink, like spending long hours on digital screens or reading.
Blinking might improve your vision temporarily, but this relief won’t last unless we address the underlying problem—the root cause of dry eye symptoms.
What Causes Dry Eye?
Dry eye develops when the tear film becomes unstable, which can stem from several factors, including:
- Aging: Tear production naturally decreases as we get older.
- Contact lens wear: Improper contact lens handling can disrupt the tear film and contribute to dryness.
- Environmental factors: Living in a dry, windy, or smoky climate like Calgary can take a toll on your eyes. Heaters and air conditioning also contribute to dry indoor air.
- Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD): One of the primary causes of dry eye, MGD develops when the meibomian glands become clogged or blocked, disrupting the natural flow of oils needed for a healthy tear film. As a result, tears evaporate too quickly from the eye’s surface.
- Screen time: We tend to blink less frequently when staring at computers, phones, and tablets, leading to faster tear evaporation.
Finding Relief: Dry Eye Treatment
On the bright side, you don’t have to live with fluctuating vision or any of the other irritating symptoms that often accompany dry eye. While we cannot cure this chronic condition, we can effectively manage dry eye using a blend of at-home remedies and innovative treatments.
At-Home Management
For mild symptoms, you can start with these simple strategies:
- Artificial tears: Over-the-counter lubricating eye drops can provide temporary relief by supplementing your natural tears. Look for preservative-free options if you need to use them frequently.
- Take screen breaks: Follow the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds to give your eyes a rest.
- Stay hydrated: Drinking plenty of water helps keep your whole body, including your eyes, hydrated.
- Use a humidifier: Adding moisture to the air in your home or office can help slow down tear evaporation.
Innovative Dry Eye Therapy
Tackling the root cause of your dry eye often requires a more innovative approach. After a thorough dry eye assessment, we may recommend one of the following therapies:
- TempSure Envi radiofrequency: This treatment uses radiofrequency (RF) energy to deliver controlled heat to the deep layers of your skin around the eyes. This helps unclog and stimulate the meibomian glands, improving natural oil flow necessary for a healthy tear film.
- Lid cleaning & scrubs: Sometimes, a buildup of bacteria or debris along the lash line can contribute to dry eye. We offer professional lid cleaning and debridement to gently remove this buildup, improving gland function and overall eye health.
- Prescription eye drops: For certain types of dry eye, over-the-counter drops aren’t enough. We can prescribe medicated eye drops that help reduce inflammation or stimulate your eyes to produce more of their own natural tears.
- Scleral lenses: These specialty contact lenses create a fluid-filled reservoir that keeps the cornea submerged in moisture all day long. By providing a constant layer of hydration, scleral lenses can significantly reduce dry eye symptoms and improve overall comfort.
Ready to See Clearly Again?
Blurry vision can be disruptive and concerning, but if dry eye is the cause, effective relief is within reach. You don’t have to guess what’s causing your symptoms or navigate the pharmacy aisle alone. The first step in restoring your vision and comfort is a dry eye consultation.
Don’t let blurry vision hold you back any longer. Connect with our Trinity Hills Eyecare team to book an appointment and start your journey toward healthier, happier eyes.
