Dry Eye Disease and Treatment

Your Eye Care Site for Sore Eyes

Do you suffer from painful eye irritation caused by dry eyes? If your eyes feel scratchy and sting, and you find yourself rubbing them constantly, you may have dry eye syndrome – a common condition, which tends to get worse with age. Fortunately for you, our eye doctor is experienced with dry eye treatment in Wylie, TX, and we can restore your comfortable vision.

Book your eye exam at Wylie Vision Care and we will inspect your eyes thoroughly to diagnose dry eye syndrome and identify the cause. This is the best way for you to receive the most appropriate, personalized dry eye treatment.

Common Symptoms of Dry Eye

Dry eye affects everyone differently, yet the most usual symptoms include:

• Stinging or burning eyes
• Gritty sensation, like sand is stuck in your eye
• Scratchiness
• Uncomfortable contact lenses
• Constant need to rub eyes or blink
• Blurry vision
• Red or pink eyes
• Watery eyes (dry eyes can trigger excess tear production)

While these symptoms are not dangerous or sight-threatening, they can certainly get in the way of daily life. Your regular activities, such as reading, viewing a screen, and driving, can become an uncomfortable challenge. There is no reason to continue suffering the pain of dry eye day after day; we offer effective dry eye treatment in Wylie, TX.

Causes of Dry Eye Syndrome

Dry eyes, as the name describes, are characterized by insufficient lubrication on the surface of your eye. This can be due to reduced tear production or a poor tear composition that doesn’t have enough fatty lipids to slow the evaporation of your tears. In other words, healthy eyes need the right quantity of tears with enough lipids in them to prevent dryness.

A number of health issues, lifestyle habits, and environmental conditions can lead to dry eye, such as:

• A problem with your tear producing glands, such as blepharitis
• Systemic disease, such as rosacea, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or Sjogren’s Syndrome
• Air-conditioning or heating
• Extreme temperatures, strong winds, a dry climate
• Pollution in your atmosphere, including from cigarette smoke
• Aging, particularly with females
• Long periods spent reading or viewing a computer, which leads to less blinking
• Wearing contact lenses
• Side effects of certain medications, such as antihistamines, antidepressants, blood pressure drugs
• Post-LASIK procedures
• Hormone replacement therapy

Dry Eye Treatment in Wylie, TX

Our knowledgeable eye doctor will customize a dry eye treatment plan to address your unique case. What works for one patient may not help another. That’s why it is essential to have an eye exam to pinpoint the cause of your dry eyes before deciding upon the best treatment.

How to Prevent & Cope with Dry Eye:

When a patient visits our office for dry eye treatment in Wylie, TX, we encourage them to pay close attention to what’s causing their dry eyes. Sometimes a small change or simple action is all that’s needed to solve the problem. For example:

• Redirect the a/c or heating vents away from blowing towards you
• Use over-the-counter lubricating eye drops to provide temporary relief; check with our eye doctor about which brands are best
• Warm compresses can stimulate tear production
• Eyelid scrubs can help unclog tear ducts
• Take omega-3 nutritional supplements to help your eyes produce and maintain lubrication
• Drink enough to stay well hydrated
• Install a humidifier to add moisture to the atmosphere of your home and office
• Invest in an air filter to remove airborne irritants
• Wear sunglasses (wraparounds are ideal) to block wind and ultraviolet rays

Medical therapy for dry eye includes:

• Topical drugs, such as prescription and non-prescription lubricating eye drops or ointments
• Artificial tear inserts, which release moisture gradually into your eyes
• Antibiotics to reduce the bacteria in your eyes that destroy healthy lipids in tears
• Restastis© hydration masks
• Punctal Plugs: for very severe cases of dry eye syndrome, our optometrist may insert punctal plugs, which are small silicone plugs to block tear drainage. This is a quick, in-office procedure.

Tired of dealing with dry eyes and uncomfortable vision? Contact our Wylie office today to reserve a dry eye consultation and exam, and our eye doctor will help soothe your sore eyes.