Some people with these complaints may also have difficulty opening their eyes or can be sensitive to light.
These drops may provide some short-term relief or they may do nothing more than sting or burn a little.
This article will explain the potential causes of gritty eyes, plus some remedies.
Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin
Dry eyes can trigger some irritating symptoms.
Ask your healthcare professional or eye doctor to make a recommendation.
Your doctor may recommend that you use an eye gel or ointment.
It may sound impossible, but a condition called nocturnallagophthalmoscauses people to sleep with their eyes partially open.
Your eyes can dry out considerably when you don’t blink.
Then an inflammation, calledkeratitis, can develop.
Lagophthalmos has several causes:
Eye drops may not be up to the task of treating nocturnal lagophthalmos.
Thicker eye ointments used at bedtime may be a better choice to reduce symptoms and speed healing.
Another choice can be to use surgical tape to keep your eyes closed while you are sleeping.
Blepharitis
Blepharitisis a group of conditions that affect the eyelashes, eyelids, and eyelid glands.
Blepharitis is commonly because of bacteria.
The bacteria can grow because of:
Blepharitis tends to cause eye redness and inflammation.
People with blepharitis may wake up in the morning with crusty eyelids.
Sometimes, dried mucus can fall into the eye,causing irritationor a sandy, gritty sensation.
Some people with FES also have obstructivesleep apnea.
Treatment for FES often includes artificial tears to reduce irritation and an antibiotic if signs of infection are present.
So too is heavy smoking.
Your eyes could feel gritty from air pollution if you live or work near a factory.
Many people use the terms interchangeably.
The active ingredient in artificial tears is similar to human tears.
Medications
Some oral prescription medications may cause your eyes to feel dry and sandy.
For example, some antidepressants and antihistamines can be associated with this side effect.
Even some over-the-counter medications taken by mouth can dry out the eyes.
Tear production tends to decrease and become less efficient as people grow older.
And a decrease in skin elasticity can prevent eyes from fully closing.
Menopausal women tend to experience dry eyes along with other symptoms due to changing hormones.
Diagnosis
It can be annoying to feel as though something is in your eye.
The location can provide clues as to the underlying cause of the symptoms and help guide the right treatment.
Summary
Diagnosing the cause of dry, gritty eyes is important.
You shouldn’t feel like you have to tolerate this problemthere are solutions.
Your doctor may consider dry eye syndrome, nocturnal lagophthalmos, blepharitis, and floppy eyelid syndrome.
Air quality, some medications, and the aging process can cause eyes to feel dry, too.
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