If you suffer from dry eyes, you know how physically painful and emotionally irritating the condition can be. The stinging, scratchiness, excess tearing and other symptoms of dry eye syndrome are enough to make you not want to get out of bed in the morning.
You need relief, but how can you get it? Simple over-the-counter eye drops may suffice for some people, but others require more comprehensive treatment for dry eye syndrome.
Causes of Dry Eye Syndrome
Many people head straight for the vision care aisle of their local drug store when their eyes start hurting. They presume a little moisture in the form of artificial tears eye drops will relieve the burning, grittiness and redness they self-diagnose as dry eye. While these eye drops can indeed provide temporary relief for some patients, they don’t correct any of the root causes of dry eye syndrome.
Your eyes have a thin moisture layer on the surface. To remain healthy, that moisture has to be in sufficient quantity and composed of the right mix of mucus, saline (salt water) and oils. Factors including age, gender, medications, environment and medical conditions can disrupt the normal, healthy flow and ratio of these elements. When they’re out of balance, you experience dry eyes.
Diagnosing and Treating Dry Eyes
Selecting the best treatment method for your specific dry eye cause and symptoms requires special diagnosis by a trained eye care professional. A comprehensive dry eye examination may include testing the composition of your eyes’ moisture layer, checking how well your eyes seal when closed, screening for certain protein markers in your tears and evaluating the meibomian glands that run along your eyelids, among other tests.
Once properly diagnosed, your eye care provider will recommend a course of treatment. Over-the-counter or prescription eye drops may very well be part of your dry eye treatment plan. Your treatment plan may also include things like LipiFlow Thermal Pulsation, Cliradex Complete or Prokera Slim. These specialty in-office procedures are designed to help treat the causes of your dry eye discomfort.
The Dry Eye Center for Excellence at North Florida Cataract Specialist and Vision Care is a leader in diagnosis and treatment of dry eye syndrome. Our specially trained staff help relieve patients’ dry eye pain every day. Contact us today at 352-373-4300 to schedule your dry eye consultation.