Dry Eye
The most common complaint optometrists hear from their patients on a daily basis is, “my eyes are red and burn” or “my eyes feel gritty and dry”. These are the hallmark symptoms of dry eye.
Your eye’s natural tears are produced by several tear glands in and around the eyelids. As you blink, a layer of fresh tears are spread over the surface of the eyeball. The tears then flow towards the inner corners of the eye and drain through small ducts in the upper and lower lids and eventually into your nasal cavity. Dry eye results when there is either a reduction in tear production or the increase in tear drainage.
The list of causes of dry eye is virtually endless. Medications such as anti-histamines, anti-depressants, and hormone therapy can result in a reduction of tear production.
Blepharitis, a common eyelid inflammation, reduces the oil concentration of your tears resulting in greater tear evaporation. Patients with blepharitis will complain of burning and grittiness of the eyes especially in the morning. Sjrogren’s syndrome is a condition where the salivary and tear glands are simultaneously attacked causing severe dryness of the mouth and eyes. Wearing contact lenses can exacerbate dry eye due to greater tear evaporation. Poor air quality and seasonal allergies can also produce dry eye symptoms.
Treating dry eye requires an optometrist or ophthalmologist to first identify the cause of the dry eye. The mainstay of dry eye therapy is artificial tear supplements. These come in liquid, gel or ointment forms. If you visit your local pharmacy, you will find a wide array of artificial tear supplements to choose from. The following is a list of some of the more effective brands. In the liquid class there is Refresh, Refresh Endura, Genteal, Tears Naturale Forte, Bion Tears and Thera Tears. In the gel class there is Refresh Liquigel, Celluvisc, Genteal Gel and Systane. Systane is unique in that it is a liquid form in the bottle but turns into a gel form as it comes in contact with the eye. In the ointment class there is Lacrilube and Tears Naturale P.M..
Simple techniques such as reducing your caffeine intake, increasing the humidity in your home, or staying away from direct airflow such as fans can also improve the lubrication of the eyes.
Your optometrist or ophthalmologist can also insert plugs into the opening of the tear ducts in order to reduce the drainage of tears from the surface of the eyeball. The plugs look like a tiny golf tee and are easily inserted by your eye care professional in their office.
Some patients have found that flaxseed oil has resulted in a reduction in dry eye symptoms. It can be purchased at your local pharmacy in pill form. Flaxseed oil is safe and nutritionally beneficial without increasing the levels of the so called “bad cholesterol”. It does however increase your urinary and bowel excretion.
Suffering from dry eye can be very frustrating. Seeking the care of your optometrist or ophthalmologist in order to discover the cause of your dry eye is paramount in the treatment.
A regular eye exam is a key part of good vision health. Use our find an optometrist directory to find an eye doctor near you and to schedule an appointment.
