Scratchy Eyes

Eyes are protected by tears. Apart from protecting the eyes, tears help in keeping the eyes moist, wash away dust and foreign bodies and provide necessary nutrients to the eyes. 'Dry Eye' happens when the quality of tears produced is not up to the mark or when the quantity of tears produced is not sufficient.

Dry Eye
It gives rise to gritty, dry, scratchy eyes. Scratchy and dry eyes is a common symptom seen in middle-aged adults, more so in women. The other symptoms which are normally seen with dry eyes are burning, itching, sensitivity to light, pain, redness and blurry vision. In some cases, it has been seen that dry eye can also cause excess watering of the eyes, as the eyes are irritated all the time.

The over-production of tears, however, does not help the cause as the tears which are so produced, do not have lubricating qualities. The tears, which are meant to lubricate the eyes, have water, oil and mucus, which help in maintaining good health of the eyes. If this condition is not treated at the earliest, it can give rise to several other problems like severe eye damage, vision loss, etc. Read about dry eye irritation: relief for dry eyes.

Causes of Scratchy Eyes
The production of tears decreases with advancement in age. This is a condition, which can affect both men and women alike, though women are more prone to it, especially after reaching menopause. At times, it is seen that along with dry eyes, people also have dry mouth and arthritis. People who have dry eyes, dry mouth and arthritis together, have a syndrome called 'Sjogren's syndrome'.

Dry eyes can also be caused due to some drugs and medications, as they are said to reduce tear production. If you need the drugs often, then you might have to make use of artificial tear drops to treat your condition.

Scratchy eyes after LASIK is a common phenomena. How long would scratchy and dry eyes after LASIK eye surgery last, varies from person to person. There also have been cases, where a patient has got permanent dry eye after LASIK, although not everyone suffers from it. To know more on dry eye causes and symptoms, read on.

Red Scratchy Eyes
There are many reasons, which can cause red scratchy eyes. When someone says red eyes, it refers to redness in the white of the eyes. Redness is caused due to enlarged blood vessels or hemorrhage on the surface of the eye. To find the exact reason for redness, location and pattern of redness plays an important role. Some of the eye diseases, which can cause this condition are pink eye (commonly called conjunctivitis), sub-conjunctival hemorrhage, pterygium and pinguecula. Along with red eyes, there are also other symptoms associated with this condition. Some of them are itchy eyes, burning eyes, sore eyes, etc. Depending on the auxiliary symptoms, your ophthalmologist will be in a better position to tell you what is the exact cause of the problem. Here is some information on effects of dry eye disease.

Treating Scratchy Eyes
To treat this condition, there are many over-the-counter medications which are available. There are also many medications, which can be bought even without prescription. This is, although, not a very healthy option. I would suggest you get yourself examined by a healthcare professional, so that you get the right treatment at the right time. Eye doctors usually make use of a number of tests, which help them in ascertaining the cause of scratchy dry eyes. Often the treatment starts with the use of artificial tears. Read more on dry eye medication for severe dry eyes and dry eye care: eye drops for dry eyes.

Sometimes, a foreign body lodged in the eye can also cause scratchy eyes. So do not just panic, may be washing your eyes with clean water can help you get rid of the problem.