Dry Eyes
Your eyes depend on lubrication and moisture to maintain comfort and proper vision. Sometimes an imbalance in the natural tear system of your eye can cause the eye to stop producing this lubrication and result in dry eyes.
Common Causes of Dry Eyes
- The natural aging process, particularly menopause
- Side effects of drugs including antihistamines and birth control pills
- Diseases that affect the ability to produce tears, such as Sjögren’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and collagen vascular diseases
- Structural problems with the eye lids not allowing them to close properly
Symptoms of Dry Eyes
When tears do not adequately lubricate the eye, you may experience:
- Pain
- Light sensitivity
- A gritty sensation
- A feeling of a foreign body or sand in the eye
- Itching
- Redness
- Blurring of vision
Sometimes, a person with dry eyes may experience excess tears flowing down their cheeks. Although this sounds contradictory, the eye is actually trying to produce the lubrication it needs and compensating for the dryness. These tears usually do not have the lubricating quality needed to moisturize and sooth the eyes.
Best Way to Treat Dry Eyes
Unfortunately, dry eyes cannot be cured. But there are several ways to treat the condition:
- Artificial tear drops/ointments
- Temporary punctual occlusion
- Permanent punctual occlusion
- Restasis eye drops
- Topical steroids
- Surgery
If you are experiencing dry eyes or a number of the symptoms for dry eyes, you should schedule an appointment with an eye doctor. Dr. Schneider at Schneider LASIK Centers has experience and knowledge with dry eyes and can diagnose and help treat the condition right away.
