Dry Eye Center · Symptoms
Symptoms vary from person to person. Some people notice burning or grittiness; others notice watery eyes, fluctuating vision, light sensitivity, fatigue, or difficulty wearing contact lenses.
Common symptoms
The eyes may feel irritated, hot, or uncomfortable even when there is no obvious injury.
Some patients describe feeling as though something is in the eye even when nothing is there.
A disrupted tear film or irritated ocular surface can make the eyes look and feel inflamed.
Dry eye can trigger reflex tearing. The eyes may water even though the underlying tear film is not stable or comfortable.
Vision may clear after blinking and then blur again as the tear film becomes uneven.
Some people notice increased discomfort in bright light or more sensitivity than usual.
Reading, computer work, driving, or other sustained visual tasks may become tiring or uncomfortable.
Dryness can reduce comfortable wear time or make lenses feel increasingly noticeable later in the day.
Some patients notice mucus or discharge associated with ocular-surface irritation.
A useful distinction
Dry-eye symptoms can overlap with allergy, infection, eyelid problems, contact-lens complications, corneal conditions, and other eye-health issues. Persistent or recurring symptoms deserve an examination rather than an assumption.
Sudden major vision loss, severe eye pain, chemical exposure, or eye trauma should be treated as urgent concerns rather than presumed to be routine dry eye.
See How We Evaluate Dry EyeWhen symptoms keep coming back
If symptoms regularly interfere with comfort, vision, screens, reading, driving, or contact-lens wear, a focused dry-eye evaluation can help determine what may be contributing.
Request a Dry Eye Evaluation