Dry eye syndrome affects women the most

Everyone experiences the symptoms from time to time: burning, irritable eyes, the sensation that something is actually scratching the eye.

But for some 3 million American women the symptoms are chronic, according to Dr. Marty Schneider, therapeutic optometrist. These women suffer from dry eye syndrome.

"Tears are essential for good eye health," Schneider said. "With dry eye syndrome, the eyes produce too few tears or tears of such poor quality that they don't stay on the eye."

Everyone experiences reduced tear production as they age, but women are more prone to dry eye syndrome than men by a 31 margin. Studies have shown that hormone therapy may increase the incidence of dry eye syndrome, as can birth control pills, blood pressure medicines, antihistamines and certain anti-depressants.

"April is Women's Eye Health Awareness Month, and we want women to know there are several options for managing dry eye syndrome," Schneider said.

Those options include lubricating drops or a procedure called lacrimal occlusion, which temporarily or permanently closes the tear ducts to prevent tears from draining away too quickly.

Schneider owns and practices at Camarillo Vision Center, an optometric practice at 2460 E. Las Posas Road, No. B, Camarillo. For more information, call (805) 987-2400.