What causes dry eyes?

What causes sandy-gritty sensation in dry eyes?

• It's often described as a sandy-gritty feeling LIKE an eyelash or speck of dirt in the eyes, but what actually causes it?

• Answer:

  The sandy gritty sensation in dry eyes is the eye lid rubbing against your cornea. Enough rubbing without enough lubrication can cause actual erosion of the cornea. In very extreme cases of dry eyes you can literally wake up one morning with your eyelid stuck to your cornea and upon forcing your eye open (though very painfully) you could actually rip off a layer of cornea. Once you rip off the layer of cornea you will need to wear a special contact lens called a bandage lens which is pretty much a clear contact with no prescription in it. Weeks of pain,the bandage lens and drops will heal the cornea but preventing the problem is alot easier and less expensive.