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Complications

By Mayo Clinic staff

Generally, dry eyes don't cause serious problems. However, possible complications include:

  • More-frequent eye infections. Your tears protect the surface of your eyes from infection. Without adequate tears, you may have an increased risk of eye infection.
  • Scarring on the surface of your eyes. If left untreated, severe dry eyes may lead to eye inflammation, scarring on the surface of your corneas and vision problems.
  • Decreased quality of life. Dry eyes can make it difficult to perform everyday activities.
Preparing for your appointment Risk factors
References
  1. Facts about dry eye. National Eye Institute. http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/dryeye/dryeye.asp. Accessed June 14, 2012
  2. Preferred Practice Pattern: Dry eye syndrome. San Francisco, Calif.: American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://one.aao.org/CE/PracticeGuidelines/PPP_Content.aspx?cid=127dbdce-4271-471a-b6d9-464b9d15b748. Accessed June 14, 2012.
  3. Shtein RM. Dry eyes. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed June 14, 2012.
  4. Yao W, et al. Dry eye syndrome: An update in office management. The American Journal of Medicine. 2011;124:1016.
  5. Stevenson W, et al. Dry eye disease. Archives of Ophthalmology. 2012;130:90.
  6. Treatment. TearScience.com. http://www.tearscience.com/physician/in-officeprocedure/treatment/. Accessed June 21, 2012.
  7. Care of the patient with ocular surface disorders. St. Louis, Mo.: American Optometric Association. http://www.aoa.org/x4813.xml.  Accessed June 14, 2012.
  8. Rand AL, et al. Nutritional supplements for dry eye syndrome. Current Opinion in Ophthalmology. 2011;22:279.
  9. Arita R, et al. Caffeine increases tear volume depending on polymorphisms within the adenosine a2a receptor gene and cytochrome p450 1a2. Ophthalmology 2012;119:972.
  10. Robertson DM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. June 27, 2012.
DS00463 Aug. 4, 2012

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