understanding your tears
and dry eyes
Your tears aren't just water; they actually have several layers. The very top layer is made of a special oil called meibum. Think of this oil layer like a lid on a pot of water—it stops the tears underneath from drying up too fast.
This oil is made by tiny glands in your eyelids called meibomian glands.
What is Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD)?
When you have MGD, these tiny glands get clogged or don't work right. Because there isn't enough good oil on top, your tears evaporate much faster than they should, leaving your eyes dry and irritated.
This problem gets even worse if you:
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Spend time in air conditioning (which dries out the air).
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Stare at computer screens (which makes you blink less often).
How eye sauna can help
To improve the quality of your tears and get some relief, you can try a few different approaches:
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Eye Drops & Diet: Using specific types of artificial tears and changing your diet can help.
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Daily Warmth: Applying moist heat to your eyelids every day melts the trapped oil, unclogs the glands, and helps the oil flow smoothly over your eyes again.
While a warm washcloth is a common go-to, it requires the cloth to contact the lids and it cools down way too fast to be truly effective. Eye Sauna provides steady, moist heat for the right amount of time without even touching your eyelids.
If your eyes are feeling dry and irritated, it is best to book an appointment with an eye specialist or optometrist who have a special interest in dry eyes. They can create a personalized plan to try and improve your tear quality.
How menopause affects your eyes
Estrogen and progesterone aren't just pregnancy hormones—they also play a huge role in keeping your eyes healthy, moist, and comfortable. Your eyes actually have built-in sensors specifically designed to receive these hormones.
When hormone levels drop or shift during menopause, it disrupts your tears and often leads to dry, irritated, and uncomfortable eyes. This usually happens in two different ways:
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Not Enough Tears (Water Shortage): The hormone changes affect the glands that make the watery part of your tears, meaning your eyes simply don't produce enough volume.
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Poor Quality Tears (Oil Shortage): The hormone changes also mess with the tiny oil glands in your eyelids (called meibomian glands). Without this oil, your tears evaporate and dry up much too fast.
A Combination of Factors
While the oil shortage (clogged oil glands) is the most common culprit, most people dealing with menopausal dry eye actually suffer from a mix of both problems at the same time.
On top of hormones, other everyday things can make dry eyes worse, such as:
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The shape or position of your eyelids.
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Not blinking all the way down (incomplete blinking)
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Air conditioning
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Frequent computer usage
What to do next: Because dry eye disease can be tricky and has multiple causes, it is highly recommended to see an ophthalmologist (eye specialist) or optometrist with a specialize interest in dry eyes. They can assist in assessing your exact mix of symptoms and start you on the right treatment.
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WHY DO MY EYES STING?
There are several reasons why your eyes may sting, but one primary cause is the osmolarity, or saltiness, of your tear film.
Think of a salty lake where prolonged dry weather causes water to evaporate, leading to increased saltiness of the remaining water. The same principle applies to your tear film. When tears evaporate more quickly than usual, the remaining tear film becomes saltier (increase in osmolarity), which can cause a stinging sensation similar to swimming in the ocean.
To improve the osmolarity of your tear film (reduce the saltiness) and reduce the sting, you can either
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use lubricants to increase tear volume or
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enhance the quality of the oily meibum layer to minimize evaporation.
Applying heat to the eyelids can help improve this meibum layer.
Some lubricants may be more beneficial than others so it is best to see your eye care professional who has a special interest in dry eyes.