What is the difference between conjunctivitis and dry eyes

Some people confuse conjunctivitis with dry eyes, which may delay treatment. Conjunctivitis generally requires the use of anti-inflammatory eye drops, while dry eyes only require the use of drops to relieve eye fatigue, so everyone should distinguish between these two diseases.

1. Experts say that according to statistics from 1991, the incidence of dry eye disease in my country is 2.7%, and there are 30 million dry eye patients across the country. The incidence has been on the rise in recent years. Computer radiation, environmental pollution, dry climate, drugs and other factors are related to dry eyes. For example, some long-term medications for the treatment of certain chronic diseases may have the side effect of inhibiting tears, and sometimes drug allergies may also cause damage to tear gland tissue. Transient dry eyes occur after myopia and cataract surgery, senile dry eyes caused by aging, and patients with autoimmune diseases, such as Sjögren's syndrome, have reactions such as dry eyes and dry mouth.

2. According to experts, when the amount of tears is less than 15 mm, it is called dry eye syndrome. Of course, dry eye syndrome can be divided into mild, moderate and severe levels. "Dry eyes with a diameter less than 5 mm are considered severe, and patients with very severe dry eyes will not have a single tear. Dry eyes may develop into blindness if not treated actively. When pain and itching symptoms appear in the early stages, the tear paper test can be used to determine the amount of tears to confirm whether it is dry eyes. Severe dry eyes cause repeated inflammation due to dryness, which damages the cornea, gradually reduces corneal transparency, and eventually leads to blindness.

3. Experts say that the first thing to do is to establish the concept that dry eye syndrome is curable. The latest treatment for severe dry eyes is salivary gland transplantation or submandibular gland transplantation. White-collar workers with mild to moderate dry eyes often have some tears, but the amount of tears is insufficient, and they need to take treatments that reduce tear consumption. The most advanced treatment in this regard is tear duct plug therapy, which blocks the tear ducts that flow to the nasal cavity to reduce tear consumption. Patients who are blind due to dry eyes are very complicated to treat. In addition to salivary gland or submandibular gland transplantation, these patients also need to undergo corneal transplantation.