Dry Eyes  Your eyes constantly produce tears at a slow and
steady rate so that they stay moist and comfortable. Some people
are not able to produce enough tears or the appropriate quality
of tears to keep their eyes healthy or comfortable. This
condition is known as dry eye.  Symptoms of dry eye include
scratchiness, stinging, stringy mucus in or around the eyes, and
blurry vision.  Sometimes people with dry eye will experience
excess tearing. This is the eye’s response to the discomfort
from dry eye. When the eyes get irritated, the gland that makes
tears releases a larger than usual volume of tears, which
overwhelm the tear drainage system. These excess tears then
overflow from your eyes.  Dry Eye Causes  Dry eye often
increases with age as tear production slows. For women, this is
especially true after menopause. Dry eye can be associated with
other problems like Sjögren’s syndrome, which can cause dry eyes
along with dry mouth and arthritis.  Your ophthalmologist (Eye
M.D.) can usually diagnose dry eye by