What Causes Dry Eyes?

Dry eyes occur when an individual's tears don't lubricate their eyes well enough. There are several reasons tears might be inadequate. Individuals might not produce enough tears, or the tears they do produce might be poor quality. Dry eyes tend to cause discomfort and affected individuals might experience burning or stinging sensations. Some individuals only have dry eyes in certain circumstances. It's common for eyes to dry out after prolonged screen use, riding a bike, sitting in an air-conditioned room, or flying on an airplane. If individuals have chronic dry eyes, some treatments might help ease the discomfort, though they might need to continue using treatments like eye drops indefinitely. If dry eyes are caused by an underlying medical condition, treating that condition can sometimes reduce or eliminate the problem.