What is dry eye?
If you have dry eye, it means you aren’t producing enough tears to keep your eyes healthy and lubricated.
Tears are vital to the health of your eyes, helping to clear foreign matter from the eyes, prevent infection, and keep the eyes clear. Without sufficient lubrication, the surface of the eye becomes drier, and vision can suffer.
Normally, any excess tears drain away through ducts in the inner corner of your eyelids, and from there into the back of your nose. Dry eye indicates an imbalance between tear production and drainage. This could be due to:
Insufficient tears
Glands in your eyelids produce tears, but tear production can slow down as a result of the aging process, certain medical conditions, some medications, and dry, windy weather.
Poor-quality tears
Some people produce poor-quality tears that are deficient in either the oil, water, or mucus layers that make up tears. This means tears may evaporate too quickly or not spread evenly over the eyeball, causing symptoms of dry eye.
Dry eye is a common condition that often turns chronic, especially in older people.
What are the symptoms of dry eye?
Symptoms of dry eye include:
- Irritation
- Gritty feeling
- Burning sensation
- Itching
- Feeling as though there’s something in your eye
- Blurry vision
- Excessive watering
If dry eye is left untreated, it can damage the cornea and affect your vision.
What treatments are available for dry eye?
Your optometrist at Omphroy Eye Care can help keep your eyes healthy and reduce discomfort with a selection of treatments.
The initial approach is to use eyedrops that replace natural tears or increase tear production with prescription eyedrops.
Your optometrist also treats any inflammation of the eyelid or the surface of the eye using:
- Prescription eye drops or ointment
- Warm compresses
- Lid massage
- Eyelid cleaners
Several other options aim to provide long-term relief. You could undergo surgery to close the tear ducts so the tears you have stay in your eyes longer, or block the tear ducts with removable plugs made of silicone or gel.
Omphroy Eye Care also offers innovative treatments for dry eye such as amniotic membrane grafts.
If you have symptoms of dry eye, improve your comfort and prevent further damage by scheduling a consultation with your optometrist at Omphroy Eye Care. Call the office today or use the online booking tool.
