Dry eye symptoms

Some of the most common symptoms of dry eye:

• Feeling like there is something in your eye (foreign body sensation)
• Scratchy, gritty eyes
• Aching or sore eyes
• Smarting or burning eyes
• Eyes tire easily, particularly noticeable from reading, watching TV or using a computer
• Contact lens discomfort or intolerance
• Excessive mucus discharge
• Watery eyes
• Eyes easily irritated by smoke
• Sensitivity to light (photophobia)
• Fluctuating vision
• Blurred vision, particularly first thing in the morning, and/or late in the day
• Eyelids "stick shut" at night
• Eyelids feel "heavy"

Amongst people with severe symptoms that I have surveyed, burning seems to be the most frequently reported description. There is an ongoing poll on DryEyeTalk soliciting feedback - please share your top symptom(s) there or post it as a comment on this article.