DRY EYE SYNDROME
What is Dry Eye Syndrome?
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, when eyes don't naturally produce enough or the right kind of tears, it's a condition known as dry eye syndrome. Dry eye syndrome is a common problem for may patients, but our surgeons are trained and equipped to work with you to understand and treat your individual case.
Tear films on our eyes have three different components, or layers:
- Oil Layer
- Water Layer
- Mucus Layer
Those three layers together create a smooth tear film that keeps our eyes moist and protected. The oil layer smooths the surface of the tear film and protects the eye from drying out. The water layer washes our eyes, and makes up the majority of tears that we actually see. The mucus layer spreads tears across our eye and helps the tear film actually stay on top of the eye.
All of these separate layers of the tear film work together to keep our eyes moistened, but if even one layer isn’t functioning properly, then our eyes are at risk for not producing enough tears or the right kind of tears. This results in dry eye syndrome.
Dry Eye Symptoms
There are several symptoms of dry eye syndrome:
- A stinging or burning sensation in the eyes
- Blurred vision
- The sensation of something scratching your eye when nothing is there
- Excessive mucus from your eyes
- Red or irritated eyes
- Discomfort when you wear your contact lenses
- Excessive tearing of the eye
Diagnosing Dry Eye Syndrome
The best way for our doctors to diagnose dry eye syndrome is through a comprehensive eye exam. In our comprehensive eye exams, we check for multiple eye conditions and the overall health of your eye. A number of different tests we run can help diagnose dry eye syndrome.
If you think you may have dry eye syndrome, request an appointment for a comprehensive eye exam with one of our doctors today!
Dry Eye Treatment
Just like there are a variety of different causes for dry eye syndrome, there are also a number of different treatment options. The treatments our doctors recommend are customized for each patient’s individual situation and case.
Artificial Tears
Your doctor may prescribe artificial tears to help treat your dry eye. Artificial tears can be purchased over-the-counter in the form of eye drops, but there are also prescription options available. If artificial tears are prescribed, your doctor will make a specific recommendation to you of which brand or type of eye drops you should use to relieve your dry eye.
If your case of dry eye is chronic, artificial tears may not be a suitable long-term treatment.
Tear Duct Plugs
Plugging the tear ducts is a treatment option for more severe or chronic cases of dry eye syndrome. This can be done through a simple outpatient procedure in our office.
Your surgeon will put plugs in your tear ducts to help natural tears keep from draining as quickly as they normally would, and allowing them to moisten your eyes longer.
Tear duct plugs aren’t permanent and can be removed if needed.
Tear Duct Surgery
In extreme cases of dry eye syndrome,
your surgeon may recommend closing your eye ducts permanently through surgery. Since this is a permanent solution, our doctors will often try other treatments before resorting to surgery.
