What is Dry Eye?
If your eyes can’t produce sufficient and healthy tears to keep your eyes lubricated and hydrated, they can dry out, which can be uncomfortable or painful, and may lead to other problems. For some, it’s all about tear evaporation, or even the chemical make-up of their tears.
What Are The Symptoms Of Dry Eye
Strangely, if you suffer from dry eye, your eyes may water more than usual. You can also experience a burning sensation, mucus in and around your eyes, redness, blurred vision and ‘tired’ eyes. You may also become more sensitive to light, and find wearing contact lenses uncomfortable.
Prevention
Treating your eyes kindly can help. Take breaks during long tasks, close your eyes often and blink repeatedly to help spread your tears evenly. When in the sun and wind, wear sunglasses or protective eyewear. And use ‘artificial tears’ eye drops regularly.
You can also alter your environment to make it friendlier to your eyes – use a humidifier to add moisture to the air, and keep your computer screen below eye level so you’re not opening your eyes as wide.
And please, stop smoking and avoid smoke.
Risk Factors
Your diet can put you at risk, especially if you don’t get enough vitamin A or Omega-3 fatty acids.
Your workplace can also be an issue if it has low moisture content or poor air quality.
Other potential risk factors range from staring at your device or computer for long periods, wearing contact lenses, and hormonal changes due to pregnancy, using birth control medication or menopause.
The one risk factor you can’t change is growing older.
Possible Treatment
Thankfully, treatment can be as simple as using over the counter eye drops. We may prescribe artificial tears, or eye drops to control corneal inflammation, or another anti-inflammatory medication. Tear stimulating medication is an option, and in some cases we will apply light therapy.
Diagnosis
Beginning with an external eye examination that focuses on your eyelids and cornea, we’ll use a slit lamp microscope to measure how long it takes your tears to evaporate.
Then, using Schimer blotting paper strips under the eyelids, we’ll gauge the strength of your tear production.
We may also use different dyes to stain the cornea, to get a highly accurate evaporation reading.
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What Causes Dry Eye?
The causes can be environmental in terms of exposure to light, wind and poor air quality, lifestyle related in that your diet and activities like smoking or screen time and device usage can affect your tear production, or simply due to your physical state. Sometimes it can be a combination of these factors.
Speak with one of our team members and see how we can help you
How Can I Tell If I Have Dry Eye
If your eyes are sore, red, blurry, tired or more light-sensiitve than usual, book an appointment with LASERSIGHT and we’ll perform all the necessary tests and examinations.
How Can LASERSIGHT Help
Your LASERSIGHT team has the skills, equipment and the experience to diagnose dry eye and determine the most effective course of action.