Dry Eye Management
Are you looking to get dry eye treatment from a reliable optometrist near you?
Dry eye problems can affect your day-to-day life and make you feel extremely uncomfortable.
What Is Dry Eye Disease?
Dry eye occurs when your eyes produce inadequate tears for lubrication and cleaning. The glands that produce tears either don’t produce enough tear volume or produce tears of poor quality. In either case, the patient suffers from what is known as ‘dry eye disease.’
Causes of Dry Eye Disease
Many factors affect the functioning and health of the tear glands. Some leading causes include hormonal fluctuations, inflammation of eye glands, or eye allergies. Decreased tear production can also be caused due to:
• Natural aging process
• Medical conditions like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disorders, or vitamin A deficiency
• Certain medications, including hypertension, acne, antihistamines, decongestants, and birth control drugs
• Damage to the corneal nerves caused due to eye surgeries
Our reliable dry eye clinic near you offers a range of dry treatments, depending on the cause and nature of the problem. If you suffer from dry eye symptoms, please feel free to contact Eye Wonder Optical for an appointment.
Common Dry Eye Symptoms
Dry eye symptoms usually occur in both eyes and may include one or more of the following signs:
• Dryness and burning
• Itchiness and blurred vision
• Sandy, gritting sensation in the eye
• Redness and a feeling of exhaustion in the eyes
• Stringy discharge from the eyes
• Difficulty with nighttime driving
• Heightened sensitivity to light
Despite the name, dry eye may also result in sporadic and random watering in your eyes. You may feel as if there is an eyelash or a piece of grit stuck in the eye, even when there’s nothing there. Although dry eye rarely causes permanent vision loss, it can interfere with daily activities like reading or watching television.
Dry eye disease generally tends to occur (though not always) in patients above the age of 50 years. When left untreated, dry eye may lead to increased risks of eye infection, corneal damage, and potential vision loss. Preventive solutions could include wearing wraparound sunglasses, using a humidifier at home, and avoiding smoke. Positioning your computer screen slightly below eye level also helps reduce the risks of staring at the screen without blinking.
If you’ve been dealing with tired, red, or painful eyes, please book a consultation today. Our experienced optometrists will evaluate your eyes using advanced equipment and create a customized treatment plan for your needs. In most cases, dry eye can be successfully cured or managed with conservative treatment.
Dry Eye Treatment
Our Eye Doctors offer a range of treatments. After a detailed assessment of your eye, we may take 3D images of your eye using our advanced equipment. The process of diagnosis is non-invasive and pain-free.
We may prescribe ‘artificial tears’ for mild cases. These are eye drops that help lubricate the eye surface. It’s best to consult your optometrist regarding prescription eye drops. Excessive use may result in allergies as over-the-counter eye drops tend to contain higher amounts of preservative chemicals. We may also plug your tear ducts with tiny gel or silicone plugs called ‘punctal plugs.’ These can also be removed by the optometrist if needed.
Other dry eye treatments include massaging the eyelids or applying warm compresses. Our qualified optometrists may perform surgery to seal the tear ducts in more acute cases to keep the tears from draining. We may also prescribe medication that helps stimulate the tear glands to improve tear production. Depending on the cause, ointments or eyelid cleaners may also help with reducing tear gland inflammation.
If you experience sudden, intermittent, or recurring eye pain, burning, or discomfort, please book an appointment to see our highly trained eye doctors at Eye Wonder Optical.