How does dry eyes feel for you?

[35and3]

I'm 35 and been an on/off sufferer for a few years. Been seen by ophthalmologists and Sod's Law during those checks it's minor. I'm having a flare at the moment and using drops but interested to know how others describe it. I don't always fit the typical nhs symptoms.

I woke today with one eye itchy to start with and now left with generalised irritation. Almost sticky feeling but no ooze. No redness / no discharge / no swelling. Just uncomfortable.

On other occasions it's like someone's emptied their kid's sandpit into my eyes. But today thankfully not and it's just the one eye.

It's very annoying!

Mine's usually feel sore, scratchy, like there's pencil sharpening's in my eyes. I've always found keeping really well hydrated helps it a lot, sometimes a warm flannel and eye drops as you say

When my eyes are dry, I get runny eyes. Took me ages to realise what it was, but the optician explained that its the lipids I'm missing so my eyes produce more watery tears. But also sore and lots of dried bits in the morning

Random symptoms - gritty feeling, sometimes burning, runny eyes especially when laughing/in the cold/in wind, uncomfortable in any glare. The optician told me to use an eye mask (I have an Optase one) twice a day, then massage the eyes gently, then clean them with coooled boiled water, then put the eye drops in. I use VisuXL gel - it was recommended by the optician and having tried various others, including ones prescribed by the doctor, I've gone back to these because they're the best for me. I also wear sunglasses unless it's an overcast day, and even then I take them with me just in case the sun decides to make even a watery appearance. All this keeps my eyes pretty much okay, pretty much most of the time. I sometimes don't bother with the mask, but I always massage and clean my eyes before putting the drops in.

It sounds like you have something else going on too if it’s flaring up. Go and see your optician when you get the flares. It could be an allergy or blepharitis - there are a couple of different types. Then can both cause an itchy/scratchy/dry sensation.