July is Dry Eye Month at Prevent Blindness with Goal to Raise Awareness and Educate the Public on the Eye Condition

Posted on June 25, 2025

Prevent Blindness Provides a Variety of Free Dry Eye Educational Resources including a dedicated Webpage, Fact Sheets and Graphics in English and Spanish, Expert Interviews and Informative Videos

Prevent Blindness is once again declaring July as Dry Eye Month with the goal to raise awareness and educate the public and healthcare professionals on dry eye. The National Eye Institute states that nearly 16.4 million Americans have dry eye. And, if severe dry eye is not treated, it can sometimes damage the cornea and negatively impact quality of life.

Prevent Blindness has created a variety of free dry eye resources including a dedicated webpage, fact sheets and social media graphics available in English and Spanish, and videos, including how to apply eye drops. For the fifth consecutive year, OCuSOFT^® Inc., a privately held eye and skin care company dedicated to innovation in eyelid hygiene and ocular health, is partnering with Prevent Blindness in support of Dry Eye Month.

Two featured interviews in the Prevent Blindness Focus on Eye Health Expert Series include:

“Dry Eye Disease and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD): What You Need to Know” with April Jasper, OD, FAAO, of Advanced Eyecare Specialists.
“Dry Eye” with Prevent Blindness Board of Directors Member Stephanie Jones Marioneaux, MD.

Risk factors for dry eye include:

Being more than 50 years old
Hormonal changes or medicines that affect hormones
Refractive surgery (for example, Lasik)
Inflammation of the eyelids
Environmental conditions, such as allergies, exposure to smoke, or a dry climate
Contact lenses
Poor make-up hygiene
Medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, rosacea, Sjögren syndrome, and certain other autoimmune diseases
Decreased blink rate: Can be caused by frequent computer or device use or occurs in certain diseases, such as Parkinson’s
Eyelid conditions that cause eyelids to not close completely
Extended screen time on digital devices such as a computer, tablet or smart phone

Additionally, certain medicines may cause decreased tear production, including antihistamines, decongestants, hormone replacement therapy, antidepressants, and medicines for high blood pressure, acne, birth control, and Parkinson’s disease, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Women are twice as likely to develop dry eye than men. Women who are pregnant or experiencing menopause are also more likely to have dry eye.

“A number of treatment options are available for dry eye that can help address symptoms and save sight,” said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “We invite everyone to check out our free dry eye resources and make an appointment with an eye doctor to find out what type of treatment is best for them.”