What Causes Dry Eye? Common Triggers Explained

Dry eye is one of the most common reasons people see an eye doctor, and it can stem from a surprising range of causes. Understanding what’s behind your symptoms is the first step to lasting relief. Here are the most common triggers.

First, what is dry eye?

Dry eye happens when your eyes don’t make enough tears, or the tears they make are poor quality and evaporate too quickly. Broadly, there are two types: not enough tear volume (aqueous-deficient) and tears that evaporate too fast (evaporative), the latter usually tied to the oil glands in your eyelids. Many people have a mix of both.

Screens and reduced blinking

Staring at screens cuts your blink rate dramatically, letting the tear film dry out. This is one of the most common modern triggers — see dry eye and screen use for practical fixes.

Age and hormonal changes

Tear production tends to decrease with age, and hormonal shifts (including menopause) can make dry eye more likely, which is why it becomes more common in midlife and beyond.

Environment

Wind, dry climates, air conditioning, heating, and even ceiling fans all speed up tear evaporation. Many people notice their eyes feel worse in winter or in air-conditioned offices.

Contact lens wear

Contact lenses can contribute to dryness for some wearers. If your lenses feel dry or uncomfortable, it’s worth evaluating — see can I wear contact lenses with dry eye syndrome?

Medications

A number of common medications — including some antihistamines, antidepressants, and blood pressure drugs — list dry eye as a side effect by reducing tear production.

Meibomian gland dysfunction

The tiny oil glands along your eyelid margins keep tears from evaporating. When they get blocked or dysfunctional, the tear film breaks down quickly — a leading cause of evaporative dry eye.

Medical conditions

Autoimmune and systemic conditions, including Sjögren’s syndrome, are strongly linked to dry eye. For these cases, specialty options like scleral lenses can be life-changing — see scleral lenses for Sjögren’s syndrome.

Why it matters

Beyond discomfort, dry eye can blur and fluctuate your vision — see how dry eyes cause blurry vision. Because the causes vary so much, getting an accurate diagnosis is what makes treatment effective.

Not sure what’s causing your dry eye?

For specialized dry eye diagnosis and treatment, our sister practice 1-800 Dry Eyes focuses exclusively on dry eye disease. You can also reach Michigan Contact Lens in Southfield for the contact-lens side of your care.

Visit 1-800 Dry Eyes  or call (248) 545-2800