What can happen if I leave dry eyes untreated?
SAMER HAMADA DISCUSSES LEAVING DRY EYES UNTREATED
Dry eye disease is typically a symptomatic disease, so it gives you symptoms. You might find a bit of eye grittiness or feel like your eye is sore–this can be managed by maybe blinking more often, or using some over-the-counter artificial teardrops, which is sometimes good.
However, you might not realize that ongoing dry eye disease can get worse. Also, the tear film is not just water in the eye. It has many factors that help to heal the eye surface, looking after the surface of your eye. It has some antibacterial antibodies which fight the bugs on the surface of your eyes.
If you lack that important component in your tear film, then obviously your eye is exposed to all sorts of troubles from infection to inflammation to catching some scratches on the eye and corneal ulcers, so it’s endless other problems that can happen as a result from dry eye disease.
Early treatment usually helps put the disease under control. If you leave it for so long, you might find you’re not just treating dry eye; you’re treating the consequences and complications of not treating the dry eye disease early enough.
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About the expert
Mr Samer Hamada | Consultant Ophthalmologist and Corneal Surgeon
MD, MSc, DO (hons), FRCSEd, FRCOphth I am Samer Hamada, founder and consultant ophthalmic surgeon with over 20 years’ experience in ophthalmology. I am a world-renowned specialist in cornea, cataract and refractive surgery. I’m not only a leading surgeon but also the only dual fellowship trained in corneal diseases in children from reputable institutions in the UK. At Eye Clinic London I work closely with other consultant ophthalmologists, optometrists and orthoptists to achieve the best outcomes for our patients. Our main aim is to make sure our patients get the safest and best treatments available to them. We put your safety before anything else so you can rest assured that if you choose us you will be in the best and safest hands.
