Dry Eye
Millions of people experience dry eye, which can cause severe discomfort and impact quality of life. Luckily, multiple treatments are available. From simple eye drops to professional services, you can make dry eye a thing of the past!
Here at Brookleigh Family Eyecare, we provide top-of-the-line eye care treatments and products. You can count on our trusted team whether you need high-quality glasses, contacts, or a specialized treatment or procedure. We offer general vision and eye care, including glaucoma and dry eye treatment in Brookhaven, GA!
What Is Dry Eye?
Dry eye can happen when the layers of tear film protecting your eyes are damaged. These three layers of film help to lubricate your eyes properly, allowing you to see clearly. If you are experiencing issues with this tear film, you may notice some uncomfortable symptoms, such as blurred vision, watery eyes, and itching. It’s important to note that several different factors can result in the development of this condition.
Dry Eye Symptoms
Do you think you may have dry eye? If so, you might experience the following:
- The feeling of something in your eye
- Light sensitivity
- Blurry vision
- Excessively watery eyes
- Stinging or burning sensations
- Mucus coming out of your eye
All of these symptoms can be quite uncomfortable. If you constantly experience any of the above, seeking treatment is important. Contact Brookleigh Family Eyecare today to get started!
Types of Dry Eye
Not all dry eye conditions are the same. While having dry eye is common for each type, the conditions work differently.
Take a look at the various types of dry eye below:
Aqueous Deficient Dry Eye
This condition involves your eyes not making tears efficiently. It can be caused by issues with your lacrimal gland, which produces aqueous tears. Certain autoimmune conditions can cause inflammation in these glands, preventing them from producing tears correctly.
Evaporative Dry Eye
Aside from not producing enough tears, dry eye can also happen when your tears evaporate too fast. This is typically due to meibomian gland dysfunction. The meibomian gland helps to produce the outer, oily layer of the tear film. When this gland isn’t working effectively, this oily layer may struggle to prevent the watery layer from drying up.
Mixed Dry Eye
You may have mixed dry eyes if you experience both aqueous tear deficiency and tear instability. This condition occurs when your eyes don’t make enough tears, and your tear film is unstable. Itchiness, burning, and other common dry eye symptoms can result.
Dry Eye Risk Factors
While dry eye can happen to anyone, certain people are more prone to developing the condition. For example, you’re more at risk if you’re an older adult. Luckily, other risk factors are more in your control.
Here are some dry eye risk factors to consider:
Certain Medications
Some medications increase the chances of developing dry eye. This includes drugs used to treat glaucoma, blood pressure, depression, allergies, menopause, and pain. You’re also at risk if you take oral contraceptives, anticholinergics, and systemic retinoids.
Environment and Lifestyle
Did you know how—and where—you live impacts your chances of developing dry eye? It’s true! The weather and allergies can have a huge effect, as can lifestyle choices like looking at screens or smoking.
Medical Conditions
Dry eye can also be a symptom of certain medical problems, such as eye, neurological, autoimmune, and endocrine conditions.
Surgeries
If you have LASIK, cataract, or surgery on your cornea, you’re also at risk of experiencing dry eye.
Diagnosing the Condition
Unfortunately, knowing you have dry eye isn’t always easy. For example, you may mistake allergy symptoms for having dry eye. However, there are certain tests and diagnostic criteria to determine if you have a dry eye condition.
A doctor will examine your medical history, particularly concerning eye-related symptoms. They will ask about allergies, illnesses, dental work, history of eye conditions, lifestyle factors, and more. Additionally, your eye care specialist may conduct an eye exam, which is a process that examines the health and condition of your eyes. They will look for any areas of concern, including what may be causing the uncomfortable symptoms. The doctor may also perform certain tests using special tools.
Some common tests for dry eye include:
- Schirmer’s test
- Tear breakup time (TBUT) test
- Slit lamp exam
All of these diagnostic tests should tell doctors if you have a dry eye condition. If they’re still unsure, they may suggest visiting your healthcare provider to learn if you have another underlying condition.
Treatment Options
After going to the eye doctor and getting diagnosed with dry eye, what do you do next? Luckily, several remedies and treatments can help.
Home Remedies
It’s a good idea to start here before trying any extensive treatments. Experts recommend the following tips to treat conditions of dry eye:
- Use a humidifier
- Limit environments trigger
- Rest your eyes after reading or working
- Take omega-3 fatty acid supplements
- Use a warm compress over your eyes
Consider special eye drops if you’re still dealing with dry eye after these steps.
Eye Drops
There are several different varieties of eye drops for dry eye. One of the most popular is artificial tears, which are used to temporarily reduce symptoms. You can also try the following drops and nasal sprays made by name brands:
- Topical cyclosporine A eye drops (Restasis®)
- Lifitegrast (Xildra®) eye drops
- Varenicline (Tyrvaya®) nasal spray
The options above are effective at treating dry eye. However, if you’re still experiencing discomfort, you may consider a procedure from a professional.
In-Office Procedures
If your dry eye just doesn’t go away, your doctor may suggest thermal pulsation therapy (Lipiflow®). This treatment works to massage and warm your eyelids to assist your meibomian glands in producing oil, which may be caused by meibomian gland dysfunction.
Another option is called intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy. This treatment uses light pulses to melt away the thick substances that restrict your meibomian glands.
Are you ready to see a doctor about your dry eye? If so, contact Brookleigh Family Eyecare for the very best dry eye treatment in Brookhaven, GA!