Dry Eyes at Night

The surface of our eyes are covered with a thin film of tears that remain invisible. The tears are essential to keep the eyes in a lubricated condition. Production of tears take place inside a gland called lacrimal gland which is present at the top of the eyeball. The tears then get spread into tiny tear ducts at the front of the eyeball and also into the nose. We get dry eyes when the tear producing glands dry up and do not produce sufficient tears. It can also happen if the tears produced by the gland gets evaporated very fast or do not get spread properly all over the eyes. People in the age group of 40-50 are more prone to this eye problem. It does not have any damaging effect on the eyes, but the dryness causes a lot of discomfort.

What Causes Dry Eyes at Night?
Dry eyes is commonly found in people who spend long hours in front of computers. This is because, the number of blinks per minute tends to decrease when they stare at computer screen all day while working which leads to rapid evaporation of tears. In a dry surroundings, like in presence of strong air conditioner, the problem becomes worse. Staying awake till late night can badly aggravate the condition.

Contact lenses can absorb the fluids from the surface of the eye and make them dry. If there is a eye problem due to which the eyes do not blink or close properly, then the tears dry up fast. Inflammatory diseases affecting the eye or eyelid can reduce tear production in lacrimal glands and the eyes turn dry. Those who are suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and Sjogren's syndrome can have dryness in eyes. Women going through menopause experience dry eyes at night due to some hormonal changes. It can be a side effect of certain medicines like antihistamines, antidepressant and beta blockers.

Common Symptoms of Dry Eyes at Night
We refer to the problem as dry eyes at night, because many of its symptoms show up particularly during nighttime and after getting up in the morning. As the tears in the eyes decrease at the end of the day, the soreness felt in the eyes becomes more severe at night, than in the daytime. At this time, the upper and lower eyelids may get stuck with each other due to lack of tears. For this reason, many people complain about a sensation of heaviness in the upper eyelid. In the morning, they get a sticky feeling in the eyes due to mucous discharge. Even after getting a good night sleep, the dry eyes look tired in the morning. Some patients get blurred vision just after waking up in the morning.

There are other dry eye symptoms, which are observed at any time of the day but they worsen at night.

• Burning sensation in the eyes. It gets aggravated if your eyes are exposed to allergens or smoke or blowing wind.
• Eyes become tired very easily while reading or working on computer or watching TV.
• With aging, the tears may not get spread in the eyes properly. Due to the uneven distribution of tears, one may feel sudden watery eyes.
• Itchiness in the eyes. Sometimes, it becomes so intense that one feels like scratching the eyes.
• Sometimes, it feels like a foreign body is present inside the eyes.
• Eyes get sensitive when exposed to any bright light.
• Those who wear contact lenses find it uncomfortable to wear their lenses.

Treatment for Dry Eyes
The treatment involves supplying of tears to the eyes artificially, to retain the lubrication of the eyes. The most widely used dry eye medication is artificial tears that are available in the form of eye drops. Select one such eye drop, that does not contain preservatives to avoid any irritation in the eyes. The biggest advantage of this eye drops is, that it does not affect the vision and hence, can be applied several times all through the day. Those who have severe dryness in eyes prefer artificial tears in gel form as their effect lasts for a longer duration as compared to eye drops. Ointments of artificial tears are used before going to bed to control the symptoms of dry eyes at night. Since it is highly viscous, it can be used during the night only. If there is any swelling in the eyes or eyelids, then it should be treated to get rid of dry eyes.

Even though dry eyes at night is a minor eye problem, it should not be neglected. You should visit your ophthalmologist regularly for eye checkup. To prevent aggravation of dry eye condition, you should stay away from dry areas like air conditioned room, windy areas and extreme hot and cold weather conditions.