Dry eye is an increasingly common form of eye irritation. It typically makes the eyes feel irritated and tired. The eyes often feel sandy or scratchy and patients with this condition often get blurred vision late in the day, especially when reading or watching TV. Paradoxically, patients complain of tearing due to reflex tear secretion stimulated by the dryness of the ocular surface.

Treatment for dry eye includes: artificial tears, to re-establish proper ocular surface lubrication; and punctal plugs to decrease the speed at which tears are drained away from the surface of the eye.