Who is at Risk to Suffer from Dry Eyes?
Dry eye becomes more common with increasing age and as body hormone changes develop. Most commonly affected are post-menopausal women. Certain autoimmune conditions, such as Rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren’s syndrome, occur together with dry eyes. Medications taken by mouth are another common cause of dry eyes. In particular, several categories of drugs are more likely to cause dry eye, including: • Blood pressure medications • Antidepressants • Certain medications which regulate heart rhythm irregularities • Decongestants • Antihistamines • Medications for Parkinson’s Disease More rarely, there can be a genetic or hereditary cause of dry eyes. For many who have dry eyes, environmental conditions may be an important factor worsening symptoms (construction jobs, janitorial work). Most likely to cause worsening of dry eye are low humidity environments, wind, central heat or air conditioning and airplane travel. One very common reason for dry eyes that is often overlooked, is sleep patte
