Dry Eye
Happy eyes are teary eyes. We need tears to lubricate, clean, and protect our eyes from infection. But every year, millions of people struggle with a near-constant scratchy, gritty, dry, burning, redness, and sensitivity caused by dry eye. Dry eye can happen for a variety of reasons. If you are having symptoms like this, Moore's Mill Eyecare, PC in Auburn, AL can help!
What is Dry Eye?
If your eyes don’t make enough tears to keep them wet and lubricated, the symptoms mentioned above can start making daily life difficult. Dry eye causes irritation, light sensitivity, stringy mucus around the corners of the eye, and vision problems.
What Causes Dry Eye?
Dry eye can have a wide range of causes, so it’s important to schedule an appointment with our Auburn eye doctor to discuss the condition. We will talk about your day-to-day environment, your medical history, medications you might be taking, and anything else that might contribute to your dry eye symptoms, including:
- Daily life—Do you spend several hours a day looking at screens, or live in a dusty, dry, and/or smoky environment? Do you wear contacts for extended periods of time?
- Medical history—If you have thyroid disease, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Sjögren’s syndrome, allergies, or other conditions, dry eye can become a problem. Patients who have had refractive eye surgery (LASIK) are also more likely to have dry eye.
- Medications—Some high blood pressure, allergy, heartburn, sleeping, and antidepressant medications can also contribute to dry eye.
- Eye conditions—Blepharitis, entropion, and ectropion can all contribute to dry eye symptoms.
Dry Eye Relief Treatments
After we understand the causes behind your dry eye symptoms, we can provide an effective treatment so that your eyes are comfortable and lubricated again:
- Lifestyle changes—Try to eliminate environmental triggers such as allergens, cigarette smoke, and dry air by adding a humidifier to rooms where you spend a lot of time. Wearing wrap-around sunglasses can also block eye irritants.
- Home remedies—Use a warm compress on your eyes for 10 minutes to encourage your tear glands to work better. Also, take frequent breaks away from screens using the 20/20/20 rule: Stop after every 20 minutes of work to focus on something 20 feet away from you for 20 seconds. Also, blinking more often can help improve tear production.
- Eye drops and artificial tears—Your Auburn optometrist can recommend or prescribe eye drops, or artificial tears to help lubricate your eyes and remedy the conditions causing your dry eye.
There are also ointments, oral medications, and in-office procedures that may be recommended for more serious cases of dry eye.
Help for Dry Eye in Auburn
Anytime your eyes are irritated, or you are struggling with dry eye, schedule an appointment with us here in Auburn, AL. We can help you get your tears back!
