A Harvard doctor once described the sensation of dry eye as going to the beach, opening your eyes widely and sticking your face in the sand. Ouch! Dry eye is not just another buzzword. It’s a growing problem.

Dry eye affects more than 40 million people in the United States alone. As simple and innocuous as it sounds, dry eye is anything but a simple disease. If ignored or left untreated, it can lead to serious complications, even blindness.
 Most people afflicted with dry eye don’t even know they have it. What are the warning signs? Should you visit an eye doc? Good questions. Get your head out of the sand, be smart and know what symptoms, or just sheer annoyances, to watch for.

Do you ever…

Feel like you constantly have mascara flecks in your eye?
Have irritation from glitter or powder eye shadow?
Have eye irritation or burning that does not go away?
Have trouble wearing contact lenses?
Have trouble wearing eye makeup and contact lenses?
Feel like you are constantly blinking?
Have blurred vision or eye fatigue from extended hours staring at digital devices?
Have excessively watery eyes?
Have worse symptoms in the evening?
Use artificial tears for relief?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, you may have dry eye.

Dry eye is a multifaceted disease that occurs when the eye does not produce tears properly or when the tears do have the correct consistency or, quality, and evaporate too quickly.

Tears provide protection and lubrication to your eyes. The correct tears are as important as the right dress size.

Many mainstream cosmetics can cause or exacerbate dry eye disease. This is a key reason that we created Eyes Are The Story, as Beauty shouldn’t hurt your eyes!

Need help finding an eye doc in your area? Here are some helpful links: