Tears are necessary to help lubricate, protect and nourish our eyes. Without a steady flow of tears, eye irritation will result. Oddly enough, if you are prone to excessive eye watering or tearing, you might actually have a condition called Dry Eye. Dry Eye occurs when the eyes do not produce sufficient tears or the tears evaporate too quickly.
There are two types of Dry Eye:
- Evaporative Dry Eye, accounting for 86% of all dry eye: cased by blockage to the eyelid glands (meibomian glands) which leads to a shortage of oil on the surface of the tears and quicker-than-normal tear evaporation.
- Aqueous Dry Eye, accounting for 14% of all dry eye: occurs when the lacrimal glands do not produce enough tears.
Without proper treatment, inadequate tears can make daily activities frustrating, affecting your personal and professional life; activities like reading, watching TV, driving or working on the computer.
Symptoms of Dry Eye
- Watering/tearing
- Itching
- Stinging
- Redness
- Light Sensitivity
- Eye fatigue
- Blurry vision
Treatment for Dry Eye
For some patients, over-the counter or prescription eye drops will provide relief for Dry Eye symptoms. However, if these are ineffective, you miay need to have an eye doctor assess your situation and determine the root cause of your dry eye. Knowing the reason for your dry eye symptoms is the best way to successfully treat this condition.
Our dry eye specialists may recommend:
- Punctal plugs to prevent tear drainage from the eyes
- Prescription eye drops such as Restasis, Cequa or Xiidra
- Artificial tears
- In-Office Thermal 1-Touch Heat Therapy treatment
- Omega 3 supplements
Thermal 1-Touch Heat Therapy
Thermal 1-Touch is a treatment performed in your doctor's office designed to remove blockages from the Meibomian glands. After the Thermal 1-Touch delivers the appropriate amount of heat to the lids, the doctor massages and expresses the blockages. The glands can resume normal oil or lipid production, which is essential for a healthy tear film. This provides stable vision and ocular comfort while eliminating the dependence of artificial tears.
Call us today at 972-250-2020 to schedule an appointment and have your dry eyes evaluated!