Dry Eye Disease – Symptoms and Causes

NUH ophthalmologist, Dr Chris Lim answers questions about the causes and treatment of dry eye disease (also known as dry eye syndrome or tear film dysfunction). It’s a common condition in Singapore in which the eyes either do not produce enough tears or the tears produced are of poor quality.

Signs and symptoms of dry eye disease:
- Burning sensation
- Stinging sensation
- Foreign body sensation
- Sandy or gritty feeling
- Sensitivity to light
- Eye pain
- Headache
- Increased tearing

Common causes of dry eye disease:
- Increased screen time
- Use of face masks (mask-associated dry eye disease)
- Contact lens use
- Conditions, e.g. diabetes, autoimmune diseases, allergies, hormonal changes associated with ageing
- Injury to eyelids or surface of the eye
- Certain medications

For an appointment with NUH, visit

Follow NUH on social media:

About National University Hospital (NUH) (Singapore):
NUH is Singapore's major tertiary hospital and referral centre with over 50 medical, surgical and dental specialties. It is the only public hospital in Singapore to offer a comprehensive suite of specialist care for adults, women and children as well as paediatric kidney and liver transplant programme, in addition to kidney, liver and pancreas transplantations for adults.

0:00 - Introduction
0:13 - Diagnosis
0:35 - About dry eye disease
0:45 - Signs and symptoms
1:19 - Causes
1:43 - Cause (Digital eye strain)
2:26 - Cause (Mask-associated dry eye disease)
2:51 - Cause (Contact lens wear)
3:02 - Cause (Health conditions)