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Backroom Ops websiteWhat causes dry eye, who is most at risk, and what the evidence says about drops, warm compresses, in-clinic treatments and supplements in New Zealand.
Every clinical statement in this guide is referenced to a peer-reviewed paper whose full text was checked. Last reviewed October 2026.
Dry eye is a long-term condition of the eye's surface in which the tear film, the thin layer of tears that protects the eye, loses its normal balance.[1] Once it starts, unstable tears, overly concentrated tears and inflammation can feed a cycle that damages the surface of the eye.[1]
There are two main types: the eyes don't make enough tears, or the tears evaporate too quickly.[1]
Common symptoms include a gritty feeling, watery eyes, sensitivity to light, and vision that blurs on and off.[1] These symptoms can make everyday tasks such as reading, screen work and driving harder.[1]
Dry eye is common. A conservative estimate is that 10–20% of people over 40 have severe symptoms or seek treatment.[1] The risk rises with age.[1] Women are affected more than men; in one large Dutch study, women had twice the rate of men.[1]
Menopause is a recognised risk factor, linked to falling levels of sex hormones (oestrogen and androgens).[2] However, hormone replacement therapy did not improve dry eye symptom scores in a review of trials, so it is not a reliable fix.[3]
Dry eye can affect more than your eyes. In a review of 32 studies, people with dry eye were about 1.8 times as likely to have depression, and about 2.3 times as likely to have anxiety, as people without dry eye.[11] Around 4 in 10 people with dry eye had symptoms of depression or anxiety on screening questionnaires, although results varied a lot between studies.[11] Mood was linked to how bothersome the eye symptoms were, not to what the eye examination showed.[11]
The link probably works both ways: constant eye discomfort can wear down your mood, and low mood or anxiety can make symptoms feel worse.[11] In one small study, people with no earlier diagnosis of depression or anxiety found their mood scores improved as their dry eye symptoms improved with treatment.[11] If dry eye is getting you down, tell your optometrist and talk to your GP as well. You can also call or text 1737 any time to talk with a trained counsellor.
Most dry eye is the evaporative type, mainly caused by blocked oil glands in the eyelids, known as meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD).[4] Signs of MGD are very common, especially in people over 65, and up to two-thirds of people with MGD may have no symptoms.[1]
Screens. Each extra hour a day of screen time was linked to 14% higher odds of dry eye, possibly because we blink less often and less completely while concentrating.[1]
Contact lenses. People under 50 who currently wear contact lenses had more than twice the odds of dry eye compared with people who had never worn them.[1]
Treatment is tailored to what is driving your dry eye. Traditionally it has stepped up from education, changes to your surroundings and lubricating eye drops to prescription and in-clinic treatments.[5] The latest international dry eye report (TFOS DEWS III) recommends identifying and treating all the contributing causes rather than following strict steps.[5]
At home. Lubricating eye drops (artificial tears) are a usual first step.[5] Warm compresses and lid hygiene are standard first steps for blocked oil glands.[4] Taking regular breaks from screens and remembering to blink fully may also help you feel more comfortable.
In New Zealand, two preservative-free lubricating eye drops are funded under a Special Authority (an application your prescriber makes), and carbomer eye gels are also listed; since February 2025 the Special Authority no longer needs renewing (Pharmac decision October 2024, checked October 2026).[6]
In the clinic. In-clinic heat treatment of the eyelid glands (thermal pulsation) treats the glands more effectively than warm compresses at home, and with one such device the benefit lasted 9–12 months in many patients.[5]
Intense pulsed light (IPL) improves tear stability and oil-gland function in MGD. In a review of six trials, most of them from China, adding IPL to gland expression improved tear stability more than gland expression alone.[4] The evidence on symptoms is mixed: in that review, IPL did not clearly improve symptom scores,[4] while a newer analysis of 47 trials ranked IPL-based treatments highest for symptom improvement.[7]
Prescription drops. Anti-inflammatory ciclosporin eye drops may help the symptoms and signs of dry eye and other eye-surface conditions compared with placebo drops or artificial tears alone, but the certainty of the evidence is low to moderate, stinging or burning is a common complaint, and more people stop using them because of side effects than with comparison drops.[8]
In New Zealand, ciclosporin eye drops for dry eye are not funded by Pharmac. They are on Pharmac's list of options for future investment, subject to budget, and in exceptional cases a prescriber can apply for funding for an individual patient (status as reported December 2024, checked October 2026).[9]
For many people, dry eye is a long-term condition. It is managed rather than cured, and it often needs ongoing care to keep it under control.[7] In one small group of patients who stopped a prescribed anti-inflammatory drop once their symptoms had cleared, symptoms came back in 12 of 17 (71%).[12]
Treatment also takes time. Prescription anti-inflammatory drops have been reported to bring relief anywhere from about 3 weeks to 3 months after starting.[12] In-clinic IPL is usually given as a course of sessions over several months, and in trials it reduced symptoms compared with a sham treatment when judged at about three months.[13] So judge progress over months rather than days, and keep your follow-up appointments.
The encouraging part is that, with the right support, dry eye can be managed. The aim is to find the mix of home care, drops and in-clinic treatment that suits the causes of your dry eye, so your eyes stay comfortable and dry eye doesn't hold you back. Your optometrist will adjust the plan as things change.
These general tips are commonly suggested to help with comfort. They are practical advice rather than proven treatments, and they work best alongside a proper assessment:
A dry eye assessment usually starts with questions about your symptoms, screen use, contact lenses, general health and medicines. Your optometrist will then examine the front of your eyes and eyelids with a microscope, often using a harmless dye to look at how stable your tear film is and whether the surface of the eye is affected. They will also check the oil glands along the edges of your eyelids.
This matters because many people with blocked oil glands have no symptoms yet,[1] and because the right treatment depends on which type of dry eye you have.[1] Your optometrist will explain what they find and suggest a plan, and may recommend a follow-up visit to see how well it is working. Dry eye is usually a long-term condition,[1] so it often needs ongoing care rather than a one-off fix.
Omega-3 fish oil supplements are often suggested for dry eye. However, in a large, well-designed (double-masked) trial of 535 people taking supplements for 12 months, omega-3 worked no better than an olive oil placebo.[10] Symptoms improved by a similar amount in both groups, which shows why one person's 'it worked for me' story can be misleading.[10]
Dry eye is the most common side effect of LASIK laser eye surgery. Almost everyone has some dryness in the first weeks, and studies report dry eye in 36–75% of people after LASIK, depending on how it is measured.[14] It is usually worst in the first week and gradually settles over 6–12 months, but about 8–48% of people are still affected at six months.[14] A smaller group go on to have longer-lasting symptoms.[15][16]
The main reason is that making the LASIK flap cuts many of the cornea's nerves, which help trigger tears and blinking.[14] The strongest risk factor is already having dry eye before surgery, so your eye surface should be assessed and treated before laser surgery and looked after for several months afterwards.[14][15]
Newer laser procedures. SMILE (small incision lenticule extraction) reshapes the cornea through a small incision instead of a flap. Compared with LASIK, people who had SMILE reported slightly fewer dry eye symptoms and had slightly more stable tears in the first six months, and feeling in the cornea came back faster.[17][18] The differences were small, some had faded by six months, and few studies followed people for longer, so dryness can still happen after SMILE.[17] Newer versions of this approach, such as CLEAR, have not yet been compared with LASIK for dry eye; one small trial found CLEAR and SMILE had similar effects on the eye surface over a year.[19] If you are thinking about laser eye surgery, have a dry eye check first and ask your surgeon which procedure suits your eyes.
Book an appointment if:
Seek help the same day if you have a painful red eye, sudden blurred vision, strong sensitivity to light, or pain and redness while wearing contact lenses.
Use our directory of New Zealand optometrists to find a practice near you. When you call, ask whether the practice offers a dry eye assessment and which in-clinic treatments are available.
This guide is general information and does not replace an eye examination.
In a large, well-designed trial, omega-3 supplements worked no better than a placebo for dry eye.
IPL improves tear stability and oil-gland function in people with blocked oil glands, but the evidence on symptom relief is mixed. Ask your optometrist whether your dry eye is the type it targets.
Some preservative-free lubricating drops are funded under a Special Authority, but ciclosporin drops are not funded (checked October 2026).
Screen time is linked to dry eye, possibly because we blink less often and less completely while concentrating.
Yes. Menopause is a recognised risk factor. Hormone replacement therapy has not been shown to improve dry eye symptoms.
It can. People with dry eye are more likely to have depression or anxiety, and the link seems to work both ways. If dry eye is getting you down, tell your optometrist and talk to your GP as well.
For many people dry eye is long-term and needs ongoing care, and treatments can take weeks to months to work. The aim of treatment is to keep it under control so your eyes stay comfortable.
Dry eye is the most common side effect of LASIK. It usually settles over 6 to 12 months, but some people are affected for longer. SMILE causes slightly milder dryness in the first months. Have a dry eye check before any laser eye surgery.
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