July is Dry Eye Month at Prevent Blindness Texas with the Goal to Raise Awareness and Educate the Public on the Eye Condition
– Prevent Blindness Texas 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-
TX (July 1, 2025) – Prevent Blindness Texas 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 Texas 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 Heather Patrick, President and CEO of Prevent Blindness Texas. “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.”
For more information on dry eye, please visit the Prevent Blindness resource page at PreventBlindnessTexas.org/dry-eye.
Prevent Blindness also offers a free listing of vision care financial assistance services in English and Spanish at: preventblindness.org/vision-care-financial-assistance-information.
About Prevent Blindness
Established in 1956 and incorporated in 1965, Prevent Blindness Texas is the state’s leading eye health and safety nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing blindness and preserving sight. At Prevent Blindness Texas, our vision is vision – making healthy eyes a priority in Texas. We focus on improving the state’s vision and eye health by enhancing community capacity through our core competencies of early detection, patient support, systems enhancement, public policy, public awareness, and health education. Prevent Blindness Texas touches the lives of thousands of Texans through our sight-saving programs and services through our network of volunteers and offices located statewide. For more information, or to contribute to the sight-saving fund, call 1-888-98-SIGHT or, visit us on the Web at www.preventblindnesstexas.org, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.