Dry Eye Specialist

What is dry eye?

Tears keep the surface of your eyes moist and clean. Tears contain a complex mixture of water, mucus, and oil to lubricate eyes and keep them healthy. They help protect your eyes from bacteria and deliver nutrients to the cells.

Tears cover the surface of your eye every time you blink. If your eye gets irritated, tear production increases, and your eyes get watery. If your eyes don’t produce enough tears or the tears evaporate too quickly, you may have a condition called dry eye or dry eye syndrome. 

What causes dry eye syndrome?

Some factors increase your risk for dry eye, including:

• Age
• Gender
• Blepharitis
• Staring at a computer screen for long periods of time
• Wearing contact lenses
• Refractive eye surgery, like LASIK

Your eyes stop producing as many tears as you age, making older people more likely to suffer from dry eye syndrome. Women who have gone through menopause are at the greatest risk for dry eyes. 

Worn over a long period, contact lenses can irritate eyes. Activities that reduce blinking frequency, like reading or staring at a computer screen, can cause eyes to dry out. 

What are the symptoms of dry eye?

Dry eye occurs when your eyes don’t make enough tears to keep your eyes moist and protected. Common symptoms include:

• Burning
• Stinging
• Redness
• Irritation

Other signs of dry eye include mucous discharge in the corners of your eyes or pain when wearing contact lenses. 

Sometimes, people with dry eye experience excessive tear production. When eyes are dry, tear production increases, but if your tears aren’t working properly, your eyes will stay dry. 

How is dry eye treated?

Dry eye diagnosis begins with a complete eye exam at Eye Care & Surgery. Your doctor evaluates the surface of your eye, eyelids, and the way you blink. You may need a test to measure the quality of your tears. 

The most common treatment for dry eye is artificial tears. Eye drops that mimic natural tears can help your eyes stay hydrated to eliminate symptoms of dry eye. 

Additional treatments include eye drops to stimulate your eyes to make more of their tears or treating other causes of eye irritation, like allergies. 

Punctal plugs can help keep tears on your eye longer to fight dry eye. A punctal plug is a small device placed in one or more tear ducts to keep tears from draining away too quickly. Instead of draining, the tears evaporate off the surface of the eye.

Find relief from dry eye with the help of the ophthalmologist and optometrists at Eye Care & Surgery. Make an appointment online or call the office nearest you today. 

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