Dry Eye Treatment
Find relief from dry, itchy, irritated eyes.
Dry Eye/Blepharitis Syndrome (DEBS) is a chronic, inflammatory disease of the eyelids. It can be caused by an overgrowth of normal bacteria living along the lid at the base of the eyelashes.
Dry eyes affect millions of people in the United States. Anyone can get DEBS at any age, but the prevalence increases with age and with contact lens wear.
If you need help, book an appointment at Valley Vision Center. We’ll help you find a treatment option that brings you the relief you’re searching for.
What are the common symptoms of dry eye?
Everyone experiences dry eye differently because there are so many potential underlying causes.
Typical symptoms include:
- Redness or eyes that appear irritated and bloodshot
- Consistent burning or tingling sensations in the eyes
- Eyes that feel itchy or as if they have something in them
- Increased sensitivity to bright lights or sunlight
- Excessive tearing, or eyes that always appear watery
What causes dry eye?
There are many potential causes of dry eye.
Evaporative Dry Eye
Tears are made up of three layers (oil, water, and mucus), and each layer has a specific purpose to keep the eye lubricated. If something is wrong with your tears’ oil layer, tears will evaporate too quickly or not spread evenly, which causes evaporative dryness.
In an attempt to correct this dryness, your lacrimal glands (the tear glands) produce more watery tears, which do not stay on your eyes and often run down your cheeks instead.
Aqueous-Deficient Dry Eye
While evaporative dryness leads to too many watery tears, aqueous deficiency comes from too few watery (or aqueous) tears. This can happen because your tear glands are damaged or not functioning properly, which can be caused by inflammation or by certain medications.
In some cases, the cause is obvious, such as environmental irritants or short-term inflammation. Some of the other causes of chronic dry eye problems include:
- Disease of the meibomian glands
- Blepharitis
- Allergies
- Defects that affect the eyelid or shape of the eye
- Certain medications
- Abnormal eye pressure
Because the underlying causes vary, treatment methods after diagnosis will also vary according to the patient. It is also not uncommon for there to be more than one cause for dry eye.
How is dry eye diagnosed and treated?
Through imaging of the meibomian glands, measuring osmolarity of the tear film, and screening for certain conditions, we are able to diagnose and provide treatment for the condition.
Some of the typical treatments include:
- Prescription eye drops to combat inflammation
- Treating oil glands
- Blinking exercises or proper eyelid hygiene
- BlephEx: a painless in-office procedure performed by your eye care professional. A revolutionary new patented BlephEx handpiece is used to very precisely and carefully removing excess bacteria, biofilm, bacterial toxins, debris and exfoliating your eyelids.
If an infection is causing the issue, low-dose antibiotics may also be prescribed.
Dry eyes are not only uncomfortable — they can also be bad for the health of your eyes. Book an appointment at Valley Vision Center to find relief.