Have you ever felt like your eyes were gritty or scratchy? Almost like there was something stuck in them? How about the feeling of irritated/burning eyes? Almost to the point of excess wateriness or blurred vision? Chances are, you have suffered or are suffering from dry eye disease and you’re not alone!
Dry eye is a common and often chronic disease that can be diagnosed during your comprehensive eye exam. It is historically common in older adults, but has become much more of a problem today for patients of all ages. Increased use of cell phones, computers, gaming consoles, and tablets have ultimately added to the dry eye epidemic, and students are now victims of their own success as they spend more time studying their textbooks. However, dry eye and its severity can also depend on the following:
Age
Gender
Medicine
Medical Conditions
Environmental Conditions
Improper Contact Lens Wear
Laser Eye Treatment
Dry eye typically occurs when there are insufficient tears to lubricate and nourish your eyes. Tears are necessary for maintaining the health of the exposed surface of your eyes, and if you’ve ever “blinked” your way into clear vision, you should note that tears also play a prominent role in how you see! Most of our patients with dry eyes either do not produce enough tears or have a poor quality of tears.
During your eye exam, our optometrists will be able to determine the cause of your dry eye. Treatment will aim to restore or maintain the normal amount of tears in the eye to minimize dryness and discomfort, and help keep your eyes healthy. The doctor may recommend artificial tears, which are lubricating eye drops that help alleviate the scratchy feeling or foreign body sensation of dry eye. The doctor might also prescribe eye drops to help increase your tear production. If dry eye is severe, there are many other treatments that can also be explored.
If you’re curious about your Dry Eye, visit or call us to schedule an exam today.
