Dry Eye Disease: Causes, Treatments, and What Really Works

When your eyes feel gritty, burning, or like they’re full of sand—even when you haven’t been in the wind—it’s not just tiredness. It’s likely dry eye disease, a chronic condition where your eyes don’t produce enough tears or the tears evaporate too quickly. Also known as keratoconjunctivitis sicca, it’s one of the most common reasons people visit eye doctors, and it’s not going away anytime soon. This isn’t just about discomfort. Dry eye disease messes with your ability to read, drive at night, use a screen for more than 20 minutes, or even wear contact lenses. It’s not something you just ‘blink away.’

The problem starts with your tear film, the thin, three-layer coating that keeps your eyes moist, clear, and protected. Also known as lacrimal film, it’s made of oil, water, and mucus—and if any layer fails, your eyes dry out. The oil layer, made by glands in your eyelids, is often the culprit. When these glands get clogged (a condition called meibomian gland dysfunction, a leading cause of evaporative dry eye), your tears evaporate in seconds. And if you’re on medications like antihistamines, antidepressants, or birth control, or spend hours staring at screens, you’re already at higher risk.

Most people try over-the-counter artificial tears, eye drops designed to mimic natural tears and provide temporary relief. But not all drops are equal. Some contain preservatives that irritate sensitive eyes. Others just add water without fixing the root issue. The real solution? It’s not always more drops. It’s often cleaning your eyelids, using warm compresses to unclog glands, or even taking omega-3 supplements to improve oil quality. For chronic cases, doctors may prescribe anti-inflammatory drops, punctal plugs to retain tears, or in-office procedures to unblock glands. It’s not one-size-fits-all, and that’s why so many people are stuck cycling through products without relief.

What you’ll find in the posts below isn’t a list of random eye tips. It’s a collection of real, practical advice from people who’ve been there—how to manage dry eye while using GLP-1 drugs that worsen it, how to avoid worsening it with certain medications, and how simple habits like blinking more or adjusting your screen height can make a difference. You won’t find fluff. Just what works, what doesn’t, and what no one tells you until it’s too late.