Dry eye guides
Everything to learn about dry eye, in order.
26 short guides in 7 steps, from “is this dry eye?” to “what does treatment cost?”. Start at step 1 and work your way through, or jump to the step you need now.
Written by Sohail Khan, optometrist, who has dry eye himself. Checked by Abra Arshad, optometrist. Updated 12 October 2026.
Is this dry eye?
Gritty, tired, burning or watery eyes, and blur that clears when you blink.
- Guide · 11 min readDry eye symptoms: what they feel like, and when to worryEvery symptom, what it usually means, and the few signs that need help today.Read the guide →
- CheckThe 60-second dry eye checkSix questions. Tells you whether it sounds like dry eye, and what to do next.Take the check →
- Guide · 3 min readWhy do my eyes water when they’re dry?Why dry eyes stream, and why more tears don’t fix it.Read the guide →
- Guide · 4 min readGritty, burning eyesWhat the sandy, burning feeling is, and what eases it.Read the guide →
- Guide · 11 min readDry eyes in the morningWhy eyes are sore or stuck on waking, and what helps overnight.Read the guide →
Is it serious?
Usually not dangerous. A few signs need help the same day; these guides tell you which.
- Guide · 1 min readWhen it isn’t dry eye: get seen todayPain, light sensitivity or a sudden change in sight: what to do.Read the guide →
- Guide · 3 min readRed eye: when to worryMost red eyes are harmless. The signs that are not.Read the guide →
- Guide · 3 min readFlashes and floatersWhen floaters are normal, and when to call the same day.Read the guide →
Why have I got it?
Most often blocked oil glands, with age, hormones, screens or medicines adding to it.
- Guide · 11 min readWhat causes dry eyes?The real reasons, most common first.Read the guide →
- Guide · 11 min readScreens and dry eyesWhy screens dry your eyes, and the habits that help.Read the guide →
- Guide · 11 min readMedicines that cause dry eyesCommon tablets and drops that dry the eyes, and what to ask your GP.Read the guide →
- Guide · 3 min readDry eyes and the menopauseWhy hormones change your tears, and what helps.Read the guide →
- Guide · 11 min readRosacea and dry eyesHow skin rosacea reaches the eyelids.Read the guide →
- Guide · 11 min readDry eyes after cataract or laser surgeryWhy it happens, how long it lasts, and what speeds it up.Read the guide →
- Guide · 8 min readWhy do my contact lenses dry out?Why lenses feel dry by the afternoon, and the fixes.Read the guide →
- Guide · 4 min readCPAP and dry eyesHow a mask leak dries your eyes overnight.Read the guide →
- Guide · 6 min readHeadaches from screensWhen screen headaches come from your eyes.Read the guide →
Why we wrote these
I have dry eye myself. It is why I stopped wearing contact lenses, and why laser eye surgery was never an option for me.
These guides are what I would want someone to give me: plain answers, what you can do yourself, when you don’t need us, and when you do.
My eyelids are crusty, sore or lumpy
That points to the lids: blepharitis, eyelash mites or a blocked gland.
- Guide · 13 min readWhat is blepharitis?What it is, why it keeps coming back, and how to manage it.Read the guide →
- Guide · 4 min readBlepharitis or dry eye?How to tell them apart, and why it is often both.Read the guide →
- Guide · 11 min readEyelash mites (Demodex)Tiny mites at the lash roots: the signs, and how they are treated.Read the guide →
- Guide · 4 min readCan blepharitis cause blurry vision?Why it blurs, and when blur is something else.Read the guide →
- Guide · 3 min readStye or chalazion?Which eyelid lump is which, and what to do.Read the guide →
What can I do myself, tonight?
A warm compress done properly, the right drop and a few habits ease it.
- Guide · 11 min readHow to do a warm compress properlyThe one home habit that helps blocked oil glands most, step by step.Read the guide →
- Guide · 11 min readWhich eye drops for dry eyes?Which drops to buy, and which to avoid.Read the guide →
- Guide · 10 min readEye drops for blocked glands (MGD)The drops that help oily-layer dry eye.Read the guide →
- Guide · 4 min readHow to calm blepharitis overnightA simple routine to start tonight.Read the guide →
Will it go away?
Sometimes. Usually it is managed rather than gone for good, and the earlier the better.
Next step: What does treatment involve, and what does it cost? →
What does treatment involve, and what does it cost?
Every treatment starts with a free consultation. Every price is shown.
- TreatmentBlocked oil glands (MGD): treatmentWhat treatment involves, step by step.See the page →
- TreatmentIPL and red light therapyHow it works, how many sessions, and the price.See the page →
- TreatmentBlepharitis treatmentLid cleaning in clinic, and what it costs.See the page →
- ClinicOur dry eye clinicEvery treatment and price, at our five practices.See the page →
Read enough, and want it looked at?
Every treatment starts with a free consultation with one of our optometrists, at any of our five practices: Cheadle, Heald Green, Middleton, Winsford and Heckmondwike. No referral needed. If treatment isn’t right for you, we tell you before anything starts.