If you suffer from dry eyes in Elkridge, MD, you’re not alone. Millions of people worldwide suffer from this condition for various reasons. It may surprise you to know that dry eyes isn’t caused by just one reason. In fact, there can be different culprits, many of which might be unnoticed until pointed out. Here are four surprising culprits of dry eyes you might not know about.

1. Air Conditioning

Air conditioning works by removing water vapors from the air. This makes the air that you’re breathing much drier than it would be ordinarily. It also makes your eyes dry out faster. If you’re in air conditioning for long hours at work or at home or even in the car, this could be a contributor to your problem with dry eyes.

2. Not Blinking

People blink at varying rates. But did you know that when people are looking at screens—computer screens, phones, tablets, etc.—the number of times that they blink is greatly reduced? It’s not known why this phenomenon exists, but it’s true. And not blinking often leads to dry eyes. That’s because when you blink, your eyelid brings down moisture over the eyes. So if the frequency of blinking is reduced, that means the amount of moisture delivered to the eyes.

3. Contact Lenses

Your contact lenses might factor into your dry eyes, too. Modern contacts allow a good amount of oxygen into the eyes, but they also inhibit moisture. You might want to talk to your optometrist in Elkridge, MD about scleral lenses, which are specially made for persons who suffer from dry eyes.

4. Medications

Certain prescription medications cause a bit of dehydration in the body, and the eyes can be affected. If you recently started taking medications and now have dry eyes, read the side effects. Talk to your prescribing physician about changing to a more suitable medication, if necessary.

Dry eyes can be very bad for your long-term vision, and the condition shouldn’t be ignored. Contact your optometrist right away if you feel that you’ve developed this condition. We look forward to treating your dry eyes or any other eye health concern you may have.