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Dry Eye Disease and Treatment

Visit Your Optometrist Near Me for Relief from Dry Eye

Do you look in the mirror throughout the day and find bloodshot eyes staring back? Are your eyes scratchy or burning, and you often need to blink to clear away your blurry vision? If these symptoms sound familiar, you may suffer from dry eye syndrome. This is a very common eye condition, and our eye doctors are experienced with diagnosing it and providing dry eye treatment in Irving.

Diagnosis of Dry Eye

If you experience the symptoms, such as stinging or burning, redness, blurred vision, watery eyes (dry eye can trigger excess tear production), itchiness, or the sensation that sand is stuck beneath your eyelids, we urge you to book an appointment for an eye exam. To examine your eyes, our optometrist may perform specialized testing to measure the amount of your tears or the osmolarity (salt concentration), as well as evaluate the evaporation rate. We will also ask you a series of questions about your lifestyle and your dry eye symptoms. A detailed diagnosis provides us with the information necessary to design the best personalized dry eye treatment in our Irving office. We will work with you patiently to find the most suitable solution.

Causes of Dry Eye

Dry eye syndrome results from inadequate lubrication on the surface of your eyes. This lack of moisture can be due to a problem with your tear production (you don’t have enough tears) or from a poor quality tear composition; when tears do not contain enough oily lipids, they evaporate too fast and your eyes dry out.

A number of lifestyle habits, environmental conditions, and health issues can lead to dry eye syndrome. The most common causes include:

  • A disorder or problem with your tear producing glands, such as blepharitis
  • Aging, particularly with females
  • Extended time spent reading or viewing a computer screen, which leads to less blinking
  • Side effects of specific medications, such as antihistamines, antidepressants, blood pressure drugs
  • Systemic disease, such as rosacea, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or Sjogren’s Syndrome
  • Wearing contact lenses
  • Hormone replacement therapy
  • Air-conditioning or heating
  • Strong winds, extreme temperatures and low humidity; during the winter months, cold winds can exacerbate the problem, which is why winter dry eye is so common
  • Post-LASIK procedures
  • High pollution in your atmosphere, including from cigarette smoke

Effective Dry Eye Treatment in Irving

As soon as our Irving eye doctors determine the cause (or multiple causes) of your dry eye, we’ll review your personalized treatment solutions. There is no absolute cure for dry eye, but there are a number of medical therapies, such as:

  • Eye drops and ointments to add lubrication, such as over-the-counter artificial tears
  • Prescription drugs, such as anti-inflammatory drugs that stimulate tear production and steroid eye drops. The most common prescription drugs are Restastis and Xiidra.
  • Antibiotics to destroy bacteria that can damage a healthy tear composition
  • Artificial tear inserts, worn like contact lenses, that release moisture into your eyes gradually
  • Punctal plugs, inserted during a quick in-office procedure, to block your punctum and diminish tear drainage
  • Eyelid scrubs, especially suited for people with blepharitis

Dry Eye Prevention

In addition to visiting our Irving eye care specialists for dry eye treatment, there are numerous ways that you can help prevent your dry eye. We hope some of these tips will bring you relief:

  1. Over-the-counter eye drops can add lubrication (check with your eye doctor about the best brands)
  2. Use a humidifier at home and at work to increase moisture in the air
  3. Install an air filter to remove airborne irritants
  4. Wear sunglasses to block wind
  5. Warm compresses held gently on your eyes may unblock tear glands and stimulate tear production
  6. Fish oil supplements can enhance the lipid content of tears
  7. Drink enough fluids

Visit Our Dry Eye Specialists for Comfortable Vision

Typically, dry eye is not dangerous or sight-threatening, yet it can be very irritating and disturb your daily life. To enjoy smooth and clear eyesight once again, contact Dr. A. Joshi & Associates, Optometrists PA, in Irving, TX, to schedule an appointment for dry eye treatment that brings relief.

Also read here about how we help diagnose and treat other more serious eye conditions!