JULY DECLARED AS DRY EYE MONTH BY PREVENT BLINDNESS TO PROVIDE PUBLIC AND ALLIED HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS WITH NO-COST EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES ON DRY EYE

- PREVENT BLINDNESS OFFERS EXPERT-APPROVED EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES COVERING DRY EYE CAUSES, SYMPTOMS, TIPS AND MORE -

CHICAGO, June 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Prevent Blindness, the nation's leading patient advocacy organization dedicated to protecting and preserving eye health, has declared July as Dry Eye Month to raise awareness and educate the public and healthcare allies on dry eye. The condition occurs when tears do not provide adequate lubrication for the eyes. In some cases, dry eye can decrease vision, and if left untreated, may cause damage to the front of the eye.

Prevent Blindness offers free dry eye resources including a dedicated webpage, fact sheets and social media graphics available in English and Spanish, and expert and patient videos. Dry Eye Month is once again supported by OCuSOFT Inc., a privately held eye and skin care company dedicated to innovation in eyelid hygiene and ocular health.

New this year, Prevent Blindness will include a dry eye discussion in the July episode of the Prevent Blindness Focus on Eye Health Podcast, featuring Prevent Blindness ASPECT Patient Engagement Program participants Aidan Moore, co-founder and executive director of the Dry Eye Foundation, and Pam Gaio, an individual living with dry eye.

The Prevent Blindness Focus on Eye Health Expert Series includes:

• "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, President-Elect of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).

Symptoms of dry eye include:

• Fluctuating blurry vision
• Burning or stinging
• Particles in the eye
• Gritty, sandy feeling
• Itchiness
• Redness and inflammation
• Stringy mucus
• Extreme sensitivity, especially to cigarette smoke
• Increased sensitivity to light

According to the AAO, health conditions that can cause dry eye include diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren syndrome, Parkinson's disease, and rosacea. Those who have had previous eye surgery are also at higher risk.

Additionally, the AAO states that taking certain medicines can cause dry eye, such as diuretics (water pills), beta-blockers, allergy and cold medicines (antihistamines), sleeping pills, anxiety medications and antidepressants, and heartburn medications. Patients should always alert their eye doctor to any medications they are taking, including prescription and non-prescription medicines.

The use of eye drops is a common dry eye treatment recommended by eye doctors. Prevent Blindness offers materials on the proper way to take eye drops, including a printable one-sheet, an informative video, "How to Use Eye Drops," featuring Dr. Yara Catoira-Boyle, Visionary Eye Specialists, and a dedicated webpage at PreventBlindness.org/taking-eye-drop-medications.

"Dry eye is commonly misunderstood. If left untreated, it can cause significant damage to vision," said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. "Speak with your eye doctor to go over all of your symptoms, medical history and medications to ensure that sight can be preserved today and for the future."

For more information on dry eye, please visit the Prevent Blindness resource page at PreventBlindness.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
Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness is the nation's leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight. Focused on promoting a continuum of vision care, Prevent Blindness touches the lives of millions of people each year through public and professional education, advocacy, certified vision screening and training, community and patient service programs and research. These services are made possible through the generous support of the American public. Together with a network of affiliates, Prevent Blindness is committed to eliminating preventable blindness in America. For more information, visit us at PreventBlindness.org, and follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube.

SOURCE Prevent Blindness