Mandy Moore assumed this eye problem came from dehydration. It was actually dry eye disease

If your wellness checklist already includes sleep, hydration and screen time, dry eye disease is another topic worth bringing up with your eye doctor. Mandy Moore, Erin Andrews, Julie Bowen, Ken Jeong and Jennifer Aniston have all spoken publicly about symptoms, triggers and treatments that may be useful to know before your next appointment.

What is dry eye disease and what causes it?

Dry eye disease is linked to too much tear evaporation or inflammation on the surface of the eye. Common triggers include long hours on screens, extended contact lens wear, frequent travel, dry weather and dusty settings, according to celebrity interviews.

Erin Andrews told Flow Space that constant screen use and travel affected her eyes. Ken Jeong told Yahoo! Life that more than 35 years of contact lens use, dusty sound stages, teleprompter screens and dry Los Angeles weather all played a role. Julie Bowen told Fox News Digital that a smoky set on “Hysteria!” made her contact lenses worse.

What are the symptoms of dry eye disease?

Typical symptoms include a gritty or scratchy sensation, burning, itching, redness, blurry vision during certain tasks and the feeling that something is stuck in the eye.

Ken Jeong told People that signs people may miss include “achiness, grittiness in the eyes and just itchy burn,” adding that some people confuse dry eye with allergies. Mandy Moore said her eyes became cloudy during a scene. Jennifer Aniston told Glamour that her eyes itched and burned while reading scripts, leading her to use drops several times an hour.

How was Mandy Moore diagnosed with dry eye disease?

Mandy Moore said she was diagnosed about a year before her Parade interview after spending years thinking her discomfort was caused by dehydration and living in a desert.

“I assumed I was dehydrated. I live in a desert,” the “This Is Us” alum told Parade. “And while both of these things are true, I also got a diagnosis a year ago of dry eye disease, which I’d never heard of. I just figured the discomfort I had with dry eyes was something that I was going have to live with.”

She now uses OptiLight, a light-based therapy delivered in four in-office sessions.

How did Erin Andrews treat her dry eye syndrome?

After an eye exam confirmed the diagnosis, Erin Andrews was prescribed Miebo, a prescription drop designed to reduce excessive tear evaporation.

She told Flow Space that her symptoms were tied to constant screens, football research and weekly travel between cities. “Honestly, instantly when I took it, I felt such a difference,” Andrews said. She also urged others to ask questions during eye appointments. “I would suggest going to your eye doctor and asking questions. Talk about your symptoms and see what’s best for you. It’s important to listen to them,” she said.

What treatment does Julie Bowen use for dry eye?

Julie Bowen uses Xiidra, an anti-inflammatory prescription drop taken twice a day, and told Fox News Digital that she had been using it for about nine months.

Her eye doctor told her that over-the-counter drops were not treating the inflammation underneath. “You can’t just wet the top of your eyeball and treat the inflammation, which is what I had been trying to do [with eyedrops],” she said. Treatment eased her discomfort. One of her doctors put it simply: “You’re not supposed to feel your eyeballs.”

How did Ken Jeong and Jennifer Aniston manage dry eye disease?

Ken Jeong was prescribed Xiidra after decades of contact lens use, overnight hospital shifts during his medical career and dusty sound stages. Jennifer Aniston worked with her doctor after receiving a diagnosis.

Jeong told Yahoo! Life that his symptoms included dryness, redness and the sensation that something was in his eyes, and he partnered with Novartis to encourage yearly eye exams. Aniston told Glamour that after she joked about using drops three times in an hour, a company told her, “You probably have dry eye.” A test confirmed it, and treatment brought “this wonderful relief.”