How can you tell the difference between dry eye and conjunctival irritation?
Conjunctival irritation is rarely chronic. It generally has an acute cause: chlorinated water, strong sunlight, draughts, cosmetics, dust etc. The eye irritation should clear up by itself after a few days, when the cause has been eliminated, and can be relieved by using eye drops which narrow the blood vessels (e.g. Tetryzolin eye drops). – Dry eye is a long-term disease. A person can, however, be particularly badly affected by dry eye in certain situations: at the computer, watching television or on long car journeys. – Only an ophthalmologist, however. can make an accurate diagnosis.
