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Women sitting at a desk, rubbing her eyes
Women sitting at a desk, rubbing her eyes

Dry Eye

Dry eye is increasingly common and can range from occasional symptoms of dryness to a chronic condition called dry eye disease. Approximately 150 million US adults experience occasional or frequent symptoms of dry eye, with around 38 million living with dry eye disease.

Excessive tear evaporation is the No. 1 cause of dry eye. In some cases, dry eye occurs when the eyes don’t produce enough tears, and sometimes both factors contribute. Underlying inflammation is common across all types of dry eye and can worsen symptoms.

Dry eye can be triggered by various factors, such as:

  • Increased screen time  
  • Medications  
  • Hormonal changes 
  • Age 
  • Environment  
  • Anxiety and stress 
  • Comorbidities 
  • Reading and/or other focused activities

While being the age of 55 and older is a contributing factor, dry eye is growing among younger generations due to modern-day factors like increased digital device use, environmental stressors, anxiety and stress. 

While being the age of 55 and older is a contributing factor, dry eye is growing among younger generations due to modern-day factors like increased digital device use, environmental stressors, anxiety and stress. 

Man rubs his dry eyes

Signs and Symptoms of Dry Eye

  • A scratchy or gritty feeling, as if something is in the eye
  • Redness, sometimes accompanied by inflammation
  • Fluctuating vision or blurriness, especially when reading or looking at things close up
  • Tired or heavy feeling in the eyes
  • Overall eye irritation, including a stinging or burning sensation

Signs and Symptoms of Dry Eye

  • A scratchy or gritty feeling, as if something is in the eye
  • Redness, sometimes accompanied by inflammation
  • Fluctuating vision or blurriness, especially when reading or looking at things close up
  • Tired or heavy feeling in the eyes
  • Overall eye irritation, including a stinging or burning sensation
Man rubs his dry eyes
Man rubs his dry eyes

You should not feel your eyes, but if you do, it is important to talk to your eye doctor. If dry eye symptoms are not addressed, they can become more frequent and more severe, progressing to dry eye disease, which may impact eye health and vision.

Although there is no cure for dry eye, there are various options that can help people find relief, including over-the-counter eye drops, prescription medications and nutritional supplements.

Infuse daily disposable contact lens

Bausch + Lomb INFUSE®
Daily Disposable contact lenses

These lenses maintain 96% of their moisture for a full 16 hours1 and are comfortable when working long hours at a computer†

Explore INFUSE® PDF icon
Infuse daily disposable contact lens

Bausch + Lomb INFUSE®
daily disposable contact lenses

These lenses maintain 96% of their moisture for a full 16 hours1 and are comfortable when working long hours at a computer†

Explore INFUSE® PDF icon
Eye story

Eyes Tell the Story: The Impact of Dry Eye 

Eyes Tell the Story is a campaign that aims to educate about dry eye through personal stories, compelling imagery and new survey data, and encourages people with symptoms to speak with their eye doctor to find relief. 

Learn more about dry eyes at knowyourdryeye.com

Eye story

Eyes Tell the Story: The Impact of Dry Eye 

Eyes Tell the Story is a campaign that aims to educate about dry eye through personal stories, compelling imagery and new survey data, and encourages people with symptoms to speak with their eye doctor to find relief. 

Learn more about dry eyes at knowyourdryeye.com

Addressing the Cause and Severity of Dry Eye 

Various tests and procedures are used to evaluate dry eye, including:  

  • A comprehensive eye exam 
  • Symptom questionnaire 
  • Inflammation measurement 
  • Tear volume assessment 
  • Tear quality evaluation 
  • Tear osmolarity test (to measure salt levels in tears) 
  • Analysis of tear samples for specific markers

A 2025 survey revealed that 78% of dry eye sufferers wished their eye doctors had tested them for dry eye earlier. 

Make sure to inform your eye doctor about all medications – both prescription and over-the-counter – you are taking. This information helps your doctor assess and treat the underlying condition.

Addressing the Cause and Severity of Dry Eye 

Various tests and procedures are used to evaluate dry eye, including:  

  • A comprehensive eye exam 
  • Symptom questionnaire 
  • Inflammation measurement 
  • Tear volume assessment 
  • Tear quality evaluation 
  • Tear osmolarity test (to measure salt levels in tears) 
  • Analysis of tear samples for specific markers

A 2025 survey revealed that 78% of dry eye sufferers wished their eye doctors had tested them for dry eye earlier. 

Make sure to inform your eye doctor about all medications – both prescription and over-the-counter – you are taking. This information helps your doctor assess and treat the underlying condition.

Additional Resources

Additional Resources

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Caring for reusable contact lenses

Find out how Biotrue® Hydration Plus Multi-Purpose Solution can be used to help clean and store your contacts.

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Understanding your dry eye symptoms

Learn how to identify issues and make lifestyle changes that can help alleviate dry eye challenges.

> Read article
gel

Caring for reusable contact lenses

Find out how Biotrue® Hydration Plus Multi-Purpose Solution can be used to help clean and store your contacts.

apply-gel

Understanding your dry eye symptoms

Learn how to identify issues and make lifestyle changes that can help alleviate dry eye challenges.

Everyone's Journey with Dry Eye is Different

If you believe you may have dry eye, you are not alone, talk to an eye doctor to discuss potential relief options based on your individual symptoms.

In a 2025 survey, 62% of sufferers mistakenly assume or aren't sure if dry eye resolves itself after some treatment - including 68% of OTC users and 53% of prescription users.

Everyone's Journey with Dry Eye is Different

If you believe you may have dry eye, you are not alone, talk to an eye doctor to discuss potential relief options based on your individual symptoms.

In a 2025 survey, 62% of sufferers mistakenly assume or aren't sure if dry eye resolves itself after some treatment - including 68% of OTC users and 53% of prescription users.

Treatment for Dry Eye

Dry eye is treated in a number of ways to help soothe the symptoms or treat the underlying cause. The most common forms of treatment for dry eye include: 

Artificial tears

Artificial tears (lubricating eye drops) can help relieve discomfort by adding some of the same elements that your tears naturally have. Available over-the-counter.

These contact lens friendly drops all provide up to 10 hours of relief. Options include:

Blink® Nourish Lubricating Eye Drops

Instantly hydrate while replenishing essential nutrients dry eyes need 

Blink® Triple Care Lubricating Eye Drops

Provide instant moisture and a boost of hydration

Blink® Triple Care Lubricating Eye Drops

Designed to lock in moisture for instant hydration

Nutritional supplements

This supplement can help relieve dry eye symptoms by improving tear quality and minimizing inflammation. Available over-the-counter.

Blink Nutritears

A once-daily supplement clinically proven to hydrate eyes from within for long-lasting, continuous relief*§

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Prescription medications

These medications reduce tear evaporation, stimulate production of natural tears or inhibit ocular surface inflammation.

Miebo®

The first and only prescription eye drop approved for dry eye disease that directly targets tear evaporation

Xiidra®

Target inflammation to treat signs and symptoms of dry eye disease<

Warm compresses and eyelid hygiene

These wipes can help provide relief to dry eyes.

Xiidra®

Gently cleanse and hydrate the eyelid area to remove buildup associated with irritated dry eyes

Surgical options

Silicone or gel plugs may be inserted, or your eye doctor may recommend permanently closing the tear ducts. Both procedures are intended to conserve the natural tears your eye produces for a longer period of time.

In-office physical therapies

Some therapies include meibomian gland thermal pulsation and expression or intense pulsed light (IPL).

Dry Eye Image

Lifestyle Tips for Dry Eye Management

  • Remember to blink when on screens, reading or doing other focused activites
  • Avoid dry situations, such as an overheated room, wind or smoke
  • When outdoors, wear wraparound glasses to reduce the drying effect of wind
  • Avoid overly warm rooms
  • Add moisture to the air (especially in the winter) by using a humidifier or placing a pan of water near your heater or radiator
  • Use artificial tear ointment or thick eye drops before going to bed
  • Talk to your doctor about adding omega-3 fatty acids to your diet. These are found naturally in flaxseeds and oily fish (such as salmon, sardines, tuna, trout and anchovies). Omega-3 fatty acids can be added as a dietary supplement for dry eye relief
  • Seek a prescription treatment from your eye doctor to proactively minimize the progression of your symptoms over time
  • Remember to blink when on screens, reading or doing other focused activites
  • Avoid dry situations, such as an overheated room, wind or smoke
  • When outdoors, wear wraparound glasses to reduce the drying effect of wind
  • Avoid overly warm rooms
  • Add moisture to the air (especially in the winter) by using a humidifier or placing a pan of water near your heater or radiator
  • Use artificial tear ointment or thick eye drops before going to bed
  • Talk to your doctor about adding omega-3 fatty acids to your diet. These are found naturally in flaxseeds and oily fish (such as salmon, sardines, tuna, trout and anchovies). Omega-3 fatty acids can be added as a dietary supplement for dry eye relief
  • Seek a prescription treatment from your eye doctor to proactively minimize the progression of your symptoms over time

MIEBO™ IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

  • Remove contact lenses before using MIEBO® and wait for at least 30 minutes before reinserting your lenses
  • Put one drop of MIEBO® into each eye four times a day, following the Instructions for Use in the packaging
  • It is not known if MIEBO® is safe and effective in children under the age of 18
  • The most common eye side effect seen in studies was blurred vision
  • One to three percent of patients reported blurred vision and eye redness 

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Download full Prescribing Information for MIEBO®

XIIDRA® IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

  • XIIDRA® is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to lifitegrast or to any of the other ingredients
  • In clinical trials, the most common adverse reactions reported in 5-25% of patients were instillation site irritation, dysgeusia and reduced visual acuity. Other adverse reactions reported in 1-5% of the patients were blurred vision, conjunctival hyperemia, eye irritation, headache, increased lacrimation, eye discharge, eye discomfort, eye pruritus and sinusitis
  • To avoid the potential for eye injury or contamination of the solution, patients should not touch the tip of the single-use container to their eye or to any surface
  • Contact lenses should be removed prior to the administration of XIIDRA® and may be reinserted 15 minutes following administration
  • Safety and efficacy in pediatric patients below the age of 17 years have not been established

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Download full Prescribing Information for XIIDRA®

Related Content

†Results from a 36-investigator multisite study of Bausch + Lomb kalifilcon A contact lenses, on 398 current silicone hydrogel lens wearers. After 7 days of wear, subjects completed an online survey that rated performance across a range of attributes.
‡Based on standardized testing (ISO 11981) on soft contact lenses. Not meant to lubricate or rewet lenses.
§Based on a clinical trial; N=116, randomized 1:1 NutriTears® and placebo.

 
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REFERENCE: 1. Data on file. Bausch & Lomb Incorporated. Rochester, NY.