Dry Eye After 50: Causes, Relief and What Doesn’t Help

What dry eye is

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), dry eye means your eyes don’t make enough tears, make the wrong kind of tears, or the tears dry out too quickly. Common symptoms:

• Stinging or burning
• A scratchy, gritty feeling, like something is in your eye
• Blurred vision, especially when reading
• Redness, especially in wind or smoke
• Watery eyes. It sounds backwards, but the eye can respond to irritation by overproducing tears.

Why it’s more common after 50

People tend to make fewer tears as they get older, partly because of hormonal changes. The AAO notes that dry eye is more common in women, especially after menopause, and the National Eye Institute (NEI) lists age over 50 and being a woman among the main risk factors.

Common triggers

• Medicines: antihistamines, diuretics, beta-blockers, antidepressants and heartburn medicines can all reduce tears. Don’t stop a prescribed medicine on your own; ask your doctor whether an alternative makes sense.
• Health conditions: rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren’s syndrome, thyroid disease and lupus.
• Screens: we blink less while looking at them. Our guide to digital eye strain covers the fixes.
• Contact lenses and past LASIK surgery.
• Wind, smoke and dry climates, including heated indoor air in winter.

What helps at home

• Use artificial tears (over-the-counter lubricating drops) when your eyes feel dry.
• Apply warm compresses and gently massage your eyelids.
• Use a humidifier in winter to add moisture to the air.
• Wear wrap-around glasses outdoors to shield your eyes from wind.
• Try an artificial tear ointment before bed if your eyes feel worst in the morning.
• Take screen breaks and remember to blink.

These steps come from the AAO’s guidance on dry eye.

Treatments your eye doctor can offer

If drops and home care aren’t enough, an eye doctor can offer:

• Prescription eye drops that help your eyes make more tears, such as cyclosporine or lifitegrast.
• Punctal plugs, tiny plugs that slow tear drainage so tears stay on the eye longer.
• Eyelid hygiene and warm compress routines when the oil glands in the lids are part of the problem.

See an eye doctor if symptoms don’t improve, if your eyes hurt, or if your vision changes.

What about fish oil?

Omega-3 fish oil is one of the most common recommendations for dry eye, and it was tested properly in a large, government-funded trial. It didn’t work better than placebo.

Do supplements help?

Not reliably. Beyond the negative fish oil results, one small trial found that 2 grams a day of sea buckthorn oil eased some dry eye signs and symptoms over three months, but that hasn’t been confirmed in larger studies.

None of the eye supplements we’ve reviewed is a dry eye treatment, so we don’t recommend one here. Artificial tears and the steps above are the better place to spend your money.

If screens are part of the problem, see our guide to digital eye strain.