Are you dealing with dry eyes? Show your dry eyes some love by seeing us for optometry care at Family Vision Clinic in Farmington. FVC in Farmington has the dry eye treatment you need. Here are some frequently asked questions about dry eye treatment.
What does the optometrist mean by "dry eye?"
While your eyes may feel dry when the air is dry, the term "dry eye" is about more than just how much moisture is available to the surface of your eye. Dry eye disease refers to any abnormality in the layer of tears that protects the surface of your eye. The problem could be that your eyes don't produce enough tears, but the problem could also be that your eyes don't produce the right kinds of tears. The tear film that protects your eye is actually a combination of three layers, water, oils, and mucus, and problems with any of those three components of the tear film can give you the symptoms of dry eye disease. It's even possible to have watery eyes but have dry eye disease.
What are the symptoms of a dry eye condition?
Watery eyes, oddly enough, are a very common sign of chronic dry eye disease, as the eye attempts to compensate for deficiencies in certain natural oils by releasing more fluid. Other signs you may have dry eye that you should have checked out by your optometrist include:
- Aching eyes.
- Feelings like you have sand or grit in your eyes.
- Blurry vision.
- Burning eyes.
- Discomfort with contact lenses.
- Painful eyes,
- Sensitivity to light.
What causes dry eye?
Many of us do things every day that aggravate dry eye disease. Maybe we stare at a computer all day, or we spend a lot of time with our eyes fixed on some other screen, like our telephones. Air pollution, wind, and dry air aggravate dry eye conditions. Dry eye is a complication of autoimmune conditions such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjogren’s syndrome. And dry eye can be the side effect of medication or a complication of eye surgery.
What can my optometrist do for dry eye?
There are a lot more solutions for dry eye than just eye drops. Sometimes your situation may be that you need protective eyewear. Or maybe you need to get treatment with a product called Restasis. You could need topical anti-inflammatory drops that have are more potent than you can get over the counter. Some people will need some help with lid hygiene, and occasionally people will need help with stopping the leakage of eye fluid with a procedure called a punctal plug.
But dry eye doesn't sound all that serious!
The truth is mild to moderate dry eye isn't hard to manage with your optometrist’s help. But untreated severe dry eye disease can lead to ulceration and perforation of the cornea and loss of sight.
Don’t deal with the feeling of dry eyes persist. Make an appointment with your Family Vision Center in Farmington today! You can schedule an appointment by calling us at (651) 463-2020 today!