Dry eye is a common condition that can be very uncomfortable for most people. It can significantly affect the quality of your life. It brings along a burning sensation, eye redness, and pain.

It occurs when there is a significant problem with your tears. Your eyes can either fail to produce enough tears or produce poor-quality tears. Dry eyes can also worsen at different times of the day and during different seasons. One of these times is during the morning when you wake up.

Here are eight reasons why dry eyes are worse in the morning

Nocturnal Lagophthalmos

Some people cannot close their eyelids completely when they sleep, a condition called nocturnal lagophthalmos. Studies show that it occurs when the seventh cranial nerve or the facial nerve weakens significantly. Several things can cause the nerve to grow weak, and they include:

 

• When the cerebellar artery is injured.
   

• Trauma to the jaw or skull.
   

• Temporary, sudden weakness of facial muscles or Bell’s palsy.

Quality of Your Tears

The tears in your eyes comprise three crucial layers to keep the eyes moist: the mucin layer, the aqueous layer, and the lipid layer. If these layers are compromised, you might develop dry eyes. This means your tear film will not adequately lubricate your eyes while you sleep. Your dry eyes will feel significantly worse when you wake up.

Insufficient Tear Production

The glands around the eyes produce all the tears in your eyes. You may develop problems with these glands for several reasons. These problems with your tear glands can cause insufficient tear production, causing dry eyes.

Blepharitis

Blepharitis causes your eyelids to swell and become red and itchy. It also causes scales to form on your eyelashes. It occurs when the edges of your eyelids develop a bacterial infection. Blepharitis can significantly make your dry eyes worse. It affects the production of tears. If you have it, your dry eyes might worsen when you wake up.

Environment

The environment you are in can significantly affect your dry eyes. For instance, your dry eyes may become more intense if you are in an air-conditioned room. This will also affect you when you sleep. Also, dust in your bedroom may make your dry eyes worse in the morning.

Medications

Some medication you are on may cause your dry eyes. Some of these are chemotherapy medication and antidepressants, among others. The side effects of dry eyes caused by medication will usually subside once you stop taking the medication.

Age

Age is a significant factor that affects tear production in many people. As we age, our tear glands start to wear out, to be not as effective as they were at first. Also, hormonal changes in menopausal women can affect tear production.

Smoking 

Studies have shown that smoking can worsen the symptoms of dry eye. If you smoke, your dry eyes may be significantly worse in the morning when you wake up. The best way to deal with this is to quit smoking altogether.

For more reasons dry eye is worse in the morning, visit Vision One Eyecare Center at our office in Ft. Mitchell or Dry Ridge, Kentucky. You can also call (859) 267-1700 or (859) 407-7400 to book an appointment today.