Is dry eye syndrome contagious, and what should I do if it's not?
Disease description:
A 15-year-old patient from Beijing has recently been experiencing symptoms such as dry eyes and eye fatigue. Would like to know whether dry eye syndrome is contagious?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Cui Xin
Dry eye syndrome is not contagious. Keratoconjunctivitis sicca, also known as dry eye syndrome, refers to a group of disorders characterized by abnormal quantity or quality of tears, or abnormalities in tear dynamics due to any cause, leading to decreased stability of the tear film, ocular discomfort, and ocular surface damage. The etiology is diverse and the pathological process complex. Based on etiology, dry eye syndrome can be classified into aqueous-deficient, mucin-deficient, lipid-deficient, and tear dynamics-related types. The most common symptoms are dryness and a foreign body sensation in the eyes. In patients with severe dry eye, conditions such as dry mouth and joint pain should be ruled out.
