Why Eyes Get Dry — It is usually not a lack of tears

At Eyecare Center of Orange County, Dr. Alexander Bonakdar has cared for patients for more than three decades. Trained at Bascom Palmer, board certified, and trusted by more than ten thousand Orange County patients since nineteen ninety one.

Tears are not just water. There is an oily layer on top, water in the middle and mucus underneath. If the oil fails, the water evaporates too quickly.

Most dry eye is an oil problem. Tiny glands along your eyelid make it, and when they block, the tear film breaks apart between blinks.

This is why watering eyes are often dry eyes. An irritated surface triggers a flood of reflex tears, so watering is a symptom of dryness, not the opposite of it.

Glands that stay blocked can scar, and scarred tissue does not grow back. That is why we look for this before you have symptoms.

Ask us to image your eyelid glands. We can photograph them and show you exactly how much healthy tissue remains.