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Understanding Dry Eye Causes and Treatments
Most people use their eyes day in and out without thinking twice about their eye health. By scheduling regular eye exams at Fort Saskatchewan Eyecare, your optometry specialist can monitor your vision and alert you to conditions such as dry eye that may be developing with your eyes. Through proper optometry care, you can learn how to prevent or manage dry eye syndrome and maintain good sight.
What Is Dry Eye?
Dry eye is a condition where your eyes don’t produce quality tears to keep them lubricated and moist. Sometimes your eyes produce an overabundance of tears, but of low quality. Other times, the tears evaporate so quickly, they don’t have time to lubricate your eyes. All of these factors lead to the same result: dry eyes.
Almost everyone experiences occasional dryness in their eyes at some point. Dry eye is different in that symptoms are frequent, consistent, and grow progressively worse over time.
Signs of Dry Eye
Tears are a mixture of water, mucus, and, oil, and serve an important purpose in eye health and function. Tears keep your eyes lubricated, protect them against infections, and wash away dirt and debris so you can enjoy clear vision.
Without quality tears, your eyes may burn or sting, get red and itchy, or feel gritty or fatigued. These are common symptoms of dry eye. Dry eye can blur your vision or make your eyes more sensitive to light and glare. You may find it difficult to read, watch TV, sit at your computer, or wear contacts for any length of time.
Although dry eye is more common in seniors, it can occur in anyone at any age, especially people who overuse or don’t take proper care of their eyes.
Causes of Dry Eye
Your eyes are sensitive organs that need proper care. When exposed to certain elements like wind, sun, smoke, excess heat, or chemical fumes, your eyes can become dry and irritated. These elements can cause dry eye syndrome. Other causes of dry eye include age, allergies, hormone changes, a decline in blinking, and long-term wear of contacts. Certain autoimmune disorders and medications can also alter tear production, causing dry eye. Dry eye may also be an after effect of some types of eye surgeries.
Dry Eye Treatment
After a thorough evaluation of your condition, we will recommend options for dry eye treatment. For mild cases of dry eye, you can often find relief using artificial tears. For more severe cases, we may prescribe eye drops or ointments, or recommend you see an ophthalmologist for eye surgery to alleviate symptoms.
See Your Optometry Specialist for Dry Eye Treatment
To schedule an evaluation for dry eye syndrome, contact Fort Saskatchewan Eyecare at (780) 589-2229